Grand Line Asylu- I mean, Academy Welcome to Hell High!
by ninjarism3
Summary: Price. D. Jayden. Charged with murder at the tender age of seventeen. Shipped off to the infamous 'Reforming Penitentiary' known as Grand Line Academy. Trying to keep a low profile whilst dodging 'The Big Four'. Chaos ensues. Summary inside. OC/Undecided. Warning- Cursing and other things. CC is welcome but no flames please.
1. Guilty as Charged

**Summary** : Price. D. Jayden. A seventeen year old girl with a questionable past and close ties to some very interesting people has given way to a rather... _chequered_... legacy. That being said, she has been tried and charged with the murder of a marine commander and his entire division. The punishment for such a crime? Execution. However, due to her age, she's sent to a reforming penitentiary known as 'The Grand Line Academy'. A place for gifted but disturbed individuals... like herself.

And if that wasn't bad enough her supposed 'gifts' are getting harder to hide; she's slowly losing control. Let's also not mention the fact that she's caught the eyes of the most notorious gangs at said Academy. _Oh_ _Boy_.

(~ ** _A/N_** _~ Hi guys! I'm back after fricking forever! My HIATUS is officially over. Yikes. Anyway, It's been a while for me on both FF and WP so I thought I'd finally publish Grand Line Academy on here like I was planning to. For years. Heh. Ease myself back into the swing of things...This one is rather short by most standards- not even a paragraph in my book- but there will be some major and minor differences from the version up on Wattpad. Nitpicking and all that Jazz. Oh well. No flames please. CC is welcomed. Enjoy! Ja Ne!)_

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

~Jayden's POV~

A young woman no older than seventeen stood in the middle of the Eines Lobby court; cuffed to the floor and enclosed in stone bars. Her hair, the colour of wine and fresh blood, cropped short and glinting in the last light of day streaming in from the glass roof. Standing stoically with her head bowed and eyes hidden behind crimson bangs, she looked the epitome of calm, the calm that only comes before the mother of all storms.

"Price. D. Jayden, you stand accused of several crimes; one being the stealing and misusing government property. Which, for the benefit of the jury, the property in question is a forbidden fruit..."

The girl snapped upright and glared at the judge towering above her on the raised dais, the supposed humble but esteemed man of fairness and justice. Her eyes, both chocolate but one laced with a ring of pyrite, hardened at the sight before her. _Hypocritical_ _bastards_. These mismatched eyes flitted around the court chamber as murmurs of disapproval float and bounce off the towering marble walls. _Tch_. Her gaze, colder than the mountain pass in Drum Kingdom, apathetically dissected the crowd of people to her left. A load of stupid middle aged men and women who've got no mind of their own and believe the government's bullshit. Her jury. The people who'll decide her fate fairly. _Riiight._

A quiet snort escaped her pale lips. ' _They've already been dished behind the scenes and probably got a little cash sum as a bonus for helping put me down. Fucking scum'_. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Here Jayden was, standing in a sea stone cage, slap bang in the middle of Eines Lobby Court. The jury looking at her like some kind of disease, a leper- in utter horror and disgust. But then again, she couldn't complain. She deserved it. The angry murmurs grew louder. Hands clenched as the girl pulled at the sea stone cuffs wrapped round her wrists, silently fuming.

 _'Why did I need cuffs when I'm in a cage? Am I that much of a monster?'_

Tears pricked at her eyes against her will and a lump lodged itself in her throat. The judge sneered at the girl beneath before calling for order.

 _'Stuck up prick...'_

"...As I was saying. You, Miss Price, stole and consumed an elemental class Devil Fruit called the Kaze-Kaze fruit. Then, you proceed to use your new founded powers against the government... By butchering the entire 3rd battalion, including the war hero Commander Samuel Bayer!" The judge hissed in disgust.

Screams of outrage erupted from the stands around her. She glanced to the right to see a swarm of Marines hollering obscenities in her direction, hatred twisting their features. She ran her eyes over each face and froze at someone she never thought she'd see again. _Captain_ _Smoker?_

He's hardly changed in the past seven years- short cropped white hair, blue cargo pants, black biker boots. And, of course, his trademark green fur lined jacket with the kanjii symbols for justice scrawled on the back. No shirt. ' _Why do men do that?'_ She mentally debates. ' _Not wear shirts. I can understand it when its hot but not all bloody year round! Yknow, it's so...distracting! And no, I don't mean it like that, it just makes me uncomfortable...'_

On cue, Jayden felt her face flush with warmth. She sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. Only she of all people could be embarrassed by something so trivial in her situation. A dangerous killer that's unnerved by bare skin and... _Intimate_ situations. Pathetic.

The Marine's face was different from the rest. It was set like marble, his vacant but intimidating expression never slipping. He looked Jayden dead in the eye; She felt her chest constrict painfully at what she saw. _Fury. Disappointment. And_ _so_ _much_ _pain._

And with that, he winced slightly and tore his gaze away, ignoring the redhead completely. The sounds around her became muted. Jayden was vaguely aware of the judge hastily calling for some decorum but she really didn't care. _He_ _hates_ _me. Of_ _course_ _he_ _hates_ _me._

The girl chuckled humorlessly to herself. She shouldn't have expected any different anyways. It was a stupid, childish hope. And when Jayden has hope, it turns round and bites her in the ass.

"And then you've also got the twenty-seven accounts of evading lawful arrest and the forty-three accounts of assault against law officials. I have to say, either way you plead, the results won't be in your favour. Do you understand, Miss Price?" The judge asked in a patronising manner. She ground her teeth in annoyance and peeked up at the judge through her lashes, looking falsely abashed.

"Yes, your honour. I understand..." She whispered with a thick throat.

"How do you plead, delinquent?"

Her mouth twitched. _Smug-ass prick._ Unwittingly, she stared at Smoker, lingering at the corner of her vision. His still refused to acknowledge her presence but he was clearly interested in her response. She grinned crookedly before glaring defiantly at the prick judge.

"Guilty, of course!"

Silence.

"What, you thought I'd deny it? Deny what I'd done? I'm a murderer. I shouldn't have killed those marines. It wasn't intentional. But I killed them, and I hate myself for it. Well, I didn't mind killing Bayer cos' he was an asshole for hurting my mum but there you go. I killed them. I'll take any punishment. I really don't care anymore!" She spat venomously.

Chaos ensued. Marines surged forward, yelling and spitting at her cage. She could've sworn she heard the metal strain under the assault the soldiers rained upon its bars.

"ENOUGH! Return to your stands you spoilt brats! Court is still in session! You're officers of law and justice for Christ's sake! Behave like it!" Smokers rough voice boomed over the racket.

The soldiers hastily returned to their seats, heads hung in shame. The Captain shook his head and growled at his men. He shrugged on his marine issued coat.

 _Wait_. _That's not a Captain's coat... Its a...Vice_ _Admiral's?! He's_ _changed_ _more_ _than_ _I_ _thought..._

"Thank you, Vice Admiral Smoker! Let's proceed."

"Miss Price, as I'm sure you're aware, the extent of such crimes carries the death penalty. But, taking into consideration that you were nine years old at the time of the incident and your admittance to your crimes, the governing body has decided that you will live out the rest of your days under a life sentence without chance of parole."

Collective gasps echoed throughout the court. Jayden's included. She was going to live? _Bullshit! Something's_ _up..._

"Usually, because you are not of age, we would offer you a choice of serving your time either at Impel Down Penitentiary..." The judge paused. Several marines chuckled and jeered quietly.

"Or at The Grandline Academy." Her eyes went wide. She fucking knew it. They were gonna send her there. Where all the crazy, psychotic nutters- especially those with Devil Fruit powers- are shipped off to. They were all super strong- not like it bothered her- but they could do as they pleased. The government didn't give a shit as long as they stayed on the island. On average, four 'inmates' a week were killed in some kind of brawl. The redhead gulped nervously. She didn't want to kill anyone else...

"But, because of your _volatile_ mental state, there's no choice but to send you to Grandline Academy. Vice Admiral Smoker will escort you to the military base at Lonuetown harbour. You leave tomorrow at noon. Case dismissed!" The judge huffed as he rushed off of his pedestal.

A choked sound pushed its way through her lips. _Holy_ _shit. I'd_ _rather_ _die_ _than_ _go_ _to_ _that_ _hellhole!_

The guards approached her cage warily. Huh. She smiled sadly and looked up.

 _I'm_ _finally_ _going_ _to_ _pay_ _for_ _my_ _sins, aren't_ _I_ _mum? After_ _all, I'm_ _the_ _reason_ _your_ _gone. I_ _let_ _you_ _die..._


	2. The Slow Boat to Grand Line

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of the characters except from Jayden, yada, yada you get it. As much as I wish I owned it I don't. *cries***

 _(~A/N~ I am on a roll... Finally. XDDDD No Flames please. Save the flames for Ace, they're his, okay? :p Enjoy. Ja Ne!)_

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

 **Dramatic Emphasis**

~Jayden POV ~

She sat in the back of the cart in silence, idly looking out of the small grate window. Streets and houses flew by-it was all so familiar to her. People stopped and stared at the vehicle the redhead was riding in, some curious. Some shook their fists in disgust. Mothers ushered their children away. Jayden shook her head and started fiddling with her cuffs instead of watching the crowd of admirers. Delicate yet callused fingers trailed the intricate pattern on the stone- the infinite swirled tones of colour reminded her of marble. _Huh_. _I'm_ _bored_...

Jayden tugged repeatedly at the chain. _Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap._

She glanced casually in front of her, eyeing the female captain sitting opposite. Captain Tagishi- she's quite pretty. Long black hair fell in waves past her shoulders, thick lashes framed her glistening obsidian eyes; which never met her prisoner's. Her posture was tense, her hand always resting on the hilt of her sword. _Hmm. A_ _swordsman_ _huh?_

The redhead grinned. _'I might as well kill some time!'_ She cackled internally. She started to snap the chain rhythmically. _Snap!_ Her hand twitched in annoyance. The teen's grin grew wider. A foot joined in. _Snap!_ Another twitch. Jayden even threw in some whistling and head bopping for good measure. The pretty captain closed her eyes, breathed _very_ _deeply_ and pinched her nose. Jayden chuckled silently. _Let's up the anti, shall we?_

The teen opened her mouth to sing when the cart stopped suddenly. _Damn_. _That was starting to get entertaining!_ Tagishi huffed with relief and hauled herself to her feet. Piercing irises watched her intently as she carefully detached the cuffs from the floor.

"Up you get, Miss Price! " the captain ordered, holding open the door. Said prisoner trudged forward slowly, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you, Marine." she said and hopped out the cart. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. She could taste the salty sea air; the cold breeze made her body tingle. She opened her eyes and gaped at the massive building before her. It was huge- like a castle you'd see in a fairy tale or something. The traditional camouflage print covered the entire surface and the windows were barred. A sea stone perimeter ran around the entire complex. A shudder run up her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck rose in unison. The marine base chilled her to the bone.

The slamming of the cart doors brought the teenager out of her dreaming. Turning on her heel, she saw the captain and Smoker talking quietly, occasionally glancing in her direction. ' _He **still** wouldn't look at me'_. Jayden felt that familiar lump form in her throat, she swallowed repeatedly, trying to squash it back down.

 _'I will not cry. Not in front of **marines**.'_

Jayden blinked furiously, clearing her blurred vision. She walked forward, straight through the ominous gates of G-5. Her chest was so tight; she couldn't breathe. The young convict heard the two marines rushed footsteps as she strode ahead. _Tch_. She walked faster, paying no attention to the piercing death glares that the passing officers shot in her direction. _Pfft_. _**Arseholes**_. Jayden followed the words painted on the concrete walls towards the holding cells; her footsteps reverberating around the dull corridor.

The teen reached the holding cells. Finally. The fiery redhead slowly tread down the cell-lined passage, looking for an empty cell. Several pairs of eyes followed the movement hungrily, their occupants hooting and whistling as she went. She gulped, uncomfortable being looked at like a piece of meat. She walked a little faster. Suddenly, her body was jolted backward. _Shit._

One of the prisoners had snaked his hand trough the bars and caught her jacket in an iron grip. He was probably in his late forties and he looked like he'd been living in the local tavern or on the streets. His eyes roamed her lithe body and he licked his cracked lips. _Uugh. Pervert!_

Jayden jerked backwards reflexively, her face flushed from discomfort. He tittered lecherously; his fellow inmates guffawed loudly.

"Aww, don't be like that, Sugar! C'mere, babe! We'll keep you company!" He laughed and roughly pulled the girl against the bars. _**Ow**_. Her face was _very_ hot and she felt cornered. So, naturally, the teen launched a fist at his face. _Crunch._

He let the girl go and cradled his now slit lip. She jumped backward, out of his reach. His face twisted in anger.

"Stupid, bitch! You'll pay for that you little slut!" He spat. Mismatched eyes narrowed.

"Your fault, you stupid oaf. You shouldn't have touched me up or called me sugar! Fucking _pervert!" Jayden_ growled before stalking off to the end cell. Thankfully, that one and the surrounding cells were unoccupied. She forcefully kicked open the door and threw herself on the flimsy bed, not bothering to close it behind her. It needed to be locked anyways...

"For fuck's sake, brat! Where'd you go?" Smoker's harsh epithet boomed down the corridor. All the prisoners shrank backwards, their shaking bodies flattened against the wall. _Pfft. Spineless_ _cowards!_ A crooked smirk played on her lips.

The girl flopped down flat on the crappy mattress, hands tucked behind her head. She whistled happily and watched the very pissed-off Vice Admiral and his subordinate storm down the corridor towards her cell. She sighed in satisfaction and stared at the ceiling.

 _Let the Spanish Inquisition begin in. Three. Two. One..._

"What on earth do you think you're playing at, Miss Price? This is a marine base! You are a prisoner, and this is not a playground!" The female captain yelled in outrage. She had the ring of authority in her voice but it sounded too hollow- uncertain. She obviously hadn't been captain long and wasn't used to her status. Jayden looked at her innocently.

"What? I wasn't running off or anything! You and the Vice Admiral looked like you were having a pretty intense discussion outside, so I thought I'd save you the trouble and let myself in!" The redhead beamed. The Captain looked staggered. Smoker's face darkened.

"You're in the wrong cell, _brat!"_ He hissed. She blinked, faking confusion. The teen leaped to her feet, smiling at Tagishi.

"Where to then, marine?"

She glanced nervously at her superior before leading the girl next door into solitary confinement. Pretty similar to the previous cell but the walls were solid concrete. A bed and a chair in the corner. A toilet and sink. No windows, except for on the door. Completely secluded. ' _Sweet! No more perverse men trying to cop a feel!'_ She strolled inside and sat on the edge of the bed. Smoker turned to his subordinate and told her to go home.

"But sir! What abou-"

"I'm more than capable of debriefing the Devil Fruit brat, Tagishi! Go home, it's the end of your shift anyway. That's an order!" He cut her off gruffly. She pressed her lips into a hard line before nodding in compliance. She left the room, leaving Jayden alone with the man. The tension in the air was so thick she swore you could cut it with a bloody butter knife. Smoker closed the door quietly and then proceeded to drag the chair until the back was in front of her. He sat down on the chair like what the bad cop would do in the movies- sitting on it back to front, slouched over and resting his folded arms across the top. He sighed and just gave the teen that _look. The_ _one_ _he_ _gave_ _me_ _at_ _Eines Lobby._

"What!? You as disappointed with the verdict as I am?" The words left her mouth in a rush. His eyes widened in disbelief. Jayden was shaking with anger, her strange eyes haunted and the vengeful words wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop. She was on a roll.

"Oh come on, Smoker! You ain't that thick! You really think that they _caught_ me? I let them catch me for crying out loud! I stayed off the grid for seven years; and they miraculously catch a wanted fugitive. No. I'm tired of running from the consequences! I deserve to die! Surely you of all people understa-" **SLAP**!

The young woman's head snapped to the side from the blow. _What? He_ _slapped_ _me?_ She touched her stinging cheek in confusion and stared at the marine, eyes wide. He was pissed. Thunderously so. But why? Surely he must hate her? He knew her mother for all those years- she was precious to him. And she stole that from him.

"Don't. _Ever._ Say that again. Ever. It wasn't your fault, brat. It wasn't your fault. You weren't the one who shot your mother down, it was Bayer. And you gave him what he deserved!" He spoke, his voice cracking slightly. Jayden throat became unbearably thick and a few tears leaked from her eyes. She dashed away at them angrily.

"And the others? The town I almost levelled? Did they deserve that too? I'm dangerous, Smoker! I can't control my powers! I'm a freak of nature... I really should be executed.." She sobbed, hugging herself. The room started to shake slightly, unnoticeable to most. But not Jade. _Oh_ _no. Not_ _again..._

She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to slow her erratic heart beat. It didn't really help- the teen kept seeing her mother's face, twisted from fear and agonising pain. She could feel that dreaded sensation in my skull; that scratching tingle. It grew more intense as she got more emotional- she breathed in and out slowly- trying to bury the pain. The shaking turned into quiet tremors; the bed began juddering under the force. The young convict clutched at her head desperately. She didn't want this- not with Smoker here.

 _I don't want another person I cared for to be hurt. Hell, this wasn't supposed to be possible!_

"Jade? Are you...doing this?" The Vice Admiral asked gently, looking at the bed frame's violent movement. She nodded through the pain. It hurt so much. Smoker swore to himself before leaping off the chair. He quickly opened the door, peered down the corridor, then shut it double time. He strode over to the distraught girl and gripped her shoulders forcefully, forcing her to meet his eyes. They were deadly serious, desperate almost.

"Jade? You need to listen to me. You must calm down. I'm getting you out of here. **Tonight.** Its not safe for you here. Are you listening? Jayden. D. Price you listen to me!" He barked into her face.

Jayden blinked rapidly; focused on him. The tremors stopped. He looked relieved.

"How long have you known that you stole Bayer's ability?"

Her eyes went wide. She shook my head in disbelief. Well, denial. Deep down, she always knew she'd taken it, but it was meant to be impossible. After all, all those who'd eaten two forbidden fruits had combusted into flames... Of course, people could steal an ability from another by taking their life, but all DF users who had killed another user never gained an extra ability!

"But that... Its...no!" Jade rambled incoherently. He squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.

"Its okay, kid. There's another one like you. At Impel Down. But he's a nasty piece of work and government are very _interested_ as to how he can have two fruit powers. Which is why your going to Grandline tonight. Once you're there, legally, the government can't touch you. But try and keep a low profile, okay?" He spoke quickly, pulling her to her feet. She nodded. She felt a bit numb actually. She didn't think the initial situation had hit yet. Smoker unlocked the door and, checking the coast was clear, they filed out the room.

"Keep quiet, brat... Once were on the water, I'll debrief you about Grand line. Trust me when I say, I didn't know and I'm sorry in advance for putting you on the spot. But there was no way in hell I was gonna let you die **or** go to Impel Down! You would've been killed on the first day! Or worse..." Smoker whispered. ' _Wait_. _What_ _does_ _he_ _mean?'_

He flung the teen over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She flushed such a bright red it looked like her hair! _Bastard_.

"S-Smoker-san! What're you doing! Put me down dammit!" Jayden hissed angrily. This is _so_ _embarrassing!_ The marine just smiled and strode down the hall.

"Pretend you're unconscious, brat! It'll help!" He sniggered. Oh he's such a prick.

"Do it now, kid!" He warned as a bunch of voices echoed down the corridor. The redhead forced her body to go limp, and closed her eyes.

"Vice Admiral Smoker, sir? Why are you carrying the prisoner?" A petty officer called out to him. _Shit._ Her heart was going ten to the dozen.

"Her powers are more volatile than anticipated, lieutenant. Stand down. I'm taking the prisoner directly to Grand line myself- before she destroys my base! Do me a favour and log this for me, I've kinda got my hands full!" He spoke calmly, his authority ringing in each word.

"Do you need another escort to go with you, sir?"

Silence. The devil fruit user grinned inwardly, that guy was stupid. Like Smoker would need your help!

"... _No._ I do **not** need your help, lieutenant! I can deal with this brat with my eyes shut! Get back to your posts, you filty bastards! And polish your boots while your at it; I want to be able to see my face in 'em!" He yelled in their faces. They squaked a hurried 'sir yes sir' before bolting off like a pack of wild dogs. When they left, the girl couldn't help but snicker at his antics.

"You haven't changed a bit, Smoker-san!" She giggled.

The marine glared incredulously at her and huffed as he walked onward. Her giggles increased at the frown on his face. Before she knew it, the cold sea air washed over her skin, making her shiver.

"How are you **not** cold without a shirt!?" Jayden mumbled, her cheeks pink. Smoker just grinned crookedly as he continued to heft the girl down to the harbour. Her head was spinning slightly. She hadn't realized just how tired she actually was!

Smoker and his 'prisoner' had arrived on board ship. It was a small affair, a little thing. It only had two rooms- the bridge and the brig. Finally, Jayden mentally cheered. _I'm_ so _tired_. The marine sat the exhausted girl down in the brig before starting up the engine. Jade's eyes felt heavy. She went over to the bed, wanting to slip in between the covers. The redhead stopped when she saw what was on it. There was a few cheesy leaflets on Grand line academy. She smirked and decided to flip through it for a laugh.

 _Nothing out of the ordinary. A cliché pep talk to get you comfortable, a map of the complex, a run down of the basic curriculum, blah, blah, blah..._

Then we hit the index of the teachers. She smirked again. Who would be crazy enough or even strong enough to cope with tutoring a bunch of crazy DF kids? Pfft. The redhead skimmed over the names. A lot of familiar names- a few were ex-shuchibukai! A miss Boa Hancock, the history and dance tutor. She smiled fondly as she read her name, she and her mother were old friends...

 _I wonder if she'll recognise me..._

Jayden continued to idly read the teacher index; her eyes wandering over the words. **Wait**. **What**?

She stopped dead. Two names she hoped never to see ever again.

 _Shanks_ and _Mihawk._

The young convict gulped. So that's what Smoker meant by _I'm_ _sorry._ She slowly crushed the leaflet into her palms and launched it across the room. Fuck. She really was going to suffer. Smoker has some explaining to do...

 _(~A/N~Reviews are gold. I promise. XDD Ninja3)_


	3. Family Renunion

_(~A/N~ Aaaand another one! Hell yeah! Anyways, no flames. Here's a few character's we all know and love to death. The plot thickens. Boo yah. Enjoy. Ja Ne!)_

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

 **Dramatic emphasis**

* * *

~? POV~

It was the middle of a cloudless night. The sky was littered with incandescent stars and a bright cresent moon crowned it's majestical beauty; sights such as these were a true masterpiece to behold. Strange for something so simply beautiful to only be seen in from hellhole like this...

Mihawk sighed as he gazed up into the skies above him from his terrace. He hated his job. Teaching young brats who think that just because they've consumed a Devil Fruit that their indestructible. Some of them had great potential, raw talent, like that Roronoa boy for instance. But its wasted when people with talent behave recklessly and end up _here._ Then again, it was his choice to do this task. So he would live up to his word with honour. Even if it did irritate him to death. The man sighed again before sipping from the glass of red wine in his hand. Today was a _long_ day. He had work to do.

Mihawk strolled off his terrace and back inside, pulling shut the doors as he went. He then made his way over to his desk to mark some of his students written work. He was one of the _only_ teachers to assign work- the rest couldn't give a damn. But he did care for his student's wellbeing, even if he chose not to show it. This was proffesor Dracule Mihawk, a.k.a Hawkeyes, a former shuchibukai and said to be the greatest swordsman alive. And here he was, marking papers. The man rubbed at his honey coloured eyes tiredly before downing the remaining wine in his glass.

He studiously filed through the precarious stack of paperwork, making sure it was all completed. When he reached the top of the pile, he frowned. There was a letter; sealed and sent from Eines Lobby crown court. The swordsman cursed under his breath, a string of foreign words leaving his mouth. How could he miss a letter from Eines Lobby? Was he that tired?

He deftly sliced through the seal with his cross knife and pulled out the file inside. It was information about a new inmate. It read;

 _'Attention_ _to_ _all_ _Academy_ _personnel; the_ _new_ _inmate_ _is_ _to_ _be_ _held_ _in_ _solitary_ _confinement_ _as_ _effective_ _on_ _immediate_ _arrival. The_ _offender_ _has_ _class_ _one_ _logia_ _type_ _DF_ _power- highly_ _volatile_ _and_ _is_ _prone_ _to_ _activate_ _when_ _emotional_ _or_ _threatened. It_ _is_ _advisable_ _to_ _have_ _sea stone_ _restraints_ _on_ _your_ _person_ _when_ _tutoring_ _the_ _offender. The_ _offender_ _will_ _be_ _escorted_ _to_ _the_ _Academy_ _by_ _Vice_ _Admiral_ _Smoker_ _of_ _the_ _G-5_ _battalion. You_ _will_ _be_ _debriefed_ _by_ _the_ _Vice_ _Admiral_ _in_ _person_ _concerning_ _the_ _prisoner. They_ _are_ _scheduled_ _to_ _arrive_ _tomorrow_ _afternoon_ _at_ _1pm. Should_ _any_ _major_ _incidents_ _occur_ _involving_ _the_ _offender_ _please_ _notify_ _Eines Lobby_ _immediately. Thank_ _you.'_

Mihawk growled in displeasure. He had to talk to that damn fool. He was no friend to marines in any case but this man he loathed completely. His cockiness, the arrogance... No honour. Ever since _that_ fateful day; neither he nor his rival Shanks had spoken to the marine on an informal basis. There was too much unsaid anger- each blamed each other for what had come to pass- and too much lost...

"You got the news too, huh hawk-eyes?" A voice called sardonically from behind him. The swordsman didn't turn around to see who it was; he already knew.

"Red Hair, there's such thing as knocking before you enter someone's home! Its called basic manners. And yes, I received the letter." He responded in his slightly accented English. He heard a chuckle from behind and the slow scuffle of straw sandals moving against the stone floor. Mihawk glanced up from the paper to see his friend slump into the chair opposing him on the other side of the desk.

The swordsman smirked slightly at the man before him- Red Hair Shanks. His mop of crimson locks were pushed back of his face, showing the three jagged scars running over his right eye. His grining mouth was surrounded with a day old stubble. His leather trench coat was hanging over his left shoulder, where his left arm should be- but he lost the limb saving that rubber brat from a sea king. He was wearing the usual floral print trousers and half buttoned up shirt, showing his chest. In other words, it always looked like he was late in the mornings- dressed like a slob.

"Yeah well. I was bored. And pissed. So yeah. Snap!" Shanks snickered and waved the letter in Mihawk's face. The swordsman rolled his eyes before swatting the paper away in annoyance. His rival could be _so_ childish.

 _Ring! Ring! Riiing!_

A sound warbled suddenly; making both men flinch in surprise. It was his den den mushi ringing on his desk. Who could be calling at such a hour? It better not be a student playing pranks again- he wasn't in the mood...

"Oooo, got a secret admirer, buddy? Why didn't you tell me?" The red head crowed at him from his seat. Mihawk shot him a look before snatching up the snail like device.

"Whoever this is, you better have a very good reason for disturbing me at such an ungodly hour..." Mihawk hissed quietly.

 _"Its_ _been_ _a_ _while, ain't_ _it,_ _Hawkeyes? And_ _yes, I_ _do_ _have_ _a_ _bloody_ _good_ _reason_ _for_ _calling_ _you, thanks!"_ A familiar gruff voice retorted. Both men's eyes darkened as they realised whom they were speaking to.

"Well, well, Smoker-san. What an unpleasant surprise. What do you want, marine? All the preparations are in place for tomorrow, already. Why are you-"

 _"Change_ _of_ _plan, asshole! I'm already_ _on_ _my_ _way. In_ _fact, we'll_ _be_ _at_ _port_ _in_ _ten_ _minutes. Listen, is Red_ _Hair_ _nearby?"_ Smoker interjected. The swordsman's face flashed in anger, as did Shanks.

"I'm right here, dumbass. What's up?" He spoke coolly.

 _"That's_ _good. Makes_ _my_ _life_ _easier. I_ _hope_ _you're_ _not_ _drunk_ _redhair. I_ _need you_ _sober! We_ _need_ _to_ _talk_ _urgently. I_ _ain't_ _fucking_ _about_ _either, this_ _concerns_ _the_ _both_ _of_ _you. Meet_ _me_ _down_ _in_ _the_ _gyms_ _in_ _twenty!"_ And with that, the den den mushi clicked. _He...hung_ _up?_

The two men shared a look. What the hell was that about? Mihawk shook his head in resignation before retrieving his sword.

"Looks like we're in for one hell of a night, redhair." He muttered as he strapped his black blade onto his back. It was huge, almost as tall has himself and it was styled like a catholic cross- almost. His rival nodded in agreement and hopped to his feet. The redhead picked something up before chucking the thing at the swordsman's face. Mihawk deftly caught the object; only to find it was his hat.

"You forgot something! Anyways, shall we go? Let's not keep dear old Smoker waiting..." Shanks said cheekily, grinning as he gestured to the door with a flourish. Mihawk just sighed at the man's behavior.

"After you, Redhair..." The swordsman responded calmly and trailed outside after his friend, the two of them strolling lazily along the dim lit pathways towards the sports centre.

* * *

~Jayden POV~

 _Holy_ _mother_ _of_ _god. I_ _am_ _so_ _pissed_ _right_ _now._

She was fuming. So much so that steam should've been pouring out of her ears. But the redhead was also more terrified then ever. How could she face up to them? _Them?_ Of all people. Jayden sat, curled up in the foetal position in the corner of her bed, hugging her shaking knees. Surprising as it was, she wasn't mad with Smoker. It wasn't his fault. Like he said, he didn't know at the time. Well, she hoped. The teen glared daggers at the offending ball of paper lying at the foot of the door; wishing the little bastard would erupt into flames or dissolve or some shit like that. The young DF user kept remembering their faces on that horrific night... _for_ _fuck's_ _sake! Get_ _outta my_ _head!_

She huffed loudly and sat upright. This waiting game was making her nervous. _Really_ nervous. Jayden was usually alright with waiting, being patient. She learnt that skill a long time ago. Had to in order to survive. But Jade's recent discovery had left her a tad bit edgy!

She crawled over the bed to the wall and smushed her face against the cold concrete. It seemed to help her calm down a little. That is, until, she heard voices through the wall. Was Smoker making a den den mushi call?

'...been a while, ain't it hawkeyes? And yes, I do have a bloody good reason for calling you thanks!" Smoker snapped. He sounded so desperate. But why was he calling _him? Why? I_ _don't_ _want_ _him_ _to_ _know!_ Jayden's body froze. She couldn't quite hear the response through the wall, but knowing the Spanish swordsman, it was probably quite sardonic.

"Change of plan, asshole! I'm already on my way. In fact, we'll be a port in ten minutes. Listen, is Redhair nearby?"

What, Shanks!? _Oh. Hell. No._ Please don't be nearby. Please be passed out in a bush somewhere or paraletic in an alcohol induced coma!

"That's good. Makes my life easier. I hope you're not drunk Redhair. I need you sober! We need to talk urgently. I ain't fucking around either, this concerns the other of you. Meet me down at the gyms in twenty!" He barked sharply, a snipping click followed swiftly after. The teen blinked. Huh. He hung up on 'em. _That's_ _Smoker-san_ _for_ _ya..._

She stood up and silently opened the door. Smoker was slouching in the chair by the ship's control panel, his face buried in his hands. He looked exhausted. Jayden could tell by the way he sat that the phone call must've been hard for him. This whole situation involving her was dragging him down. That's what really hurt the most. Again, others suffering for her well being.

Smoker sighed and looked around in a daze. His eyes widened and he did a double take, only just realising that Jayden was standing there. A resigned look came across his face; he knew the cat was outta the bag. Either that, or he could see the pain in her eyes.

"There's no way I hell I'm willingly going to see those guys, you do know that right!?" The teen choked. Again, she was on the verge of crying. _I swear, I've got to stop this shit._ Smoker raised an eyebrow questioningly, with an _oh-yeah-how'd-ya-plan-on-doing-that-exactly_ look on his face. _Grrr_. _Bastard_.

"We'll see brat. Anyway, for the first week or so here at Grand line, keep a low profile. No fights, no playing hero, none of that. It'll get you killed. Or worse, _noticed._ If any of the gang big shots find out about even one of your powers, or your past for that matter, they'll either try to recruit you or kill you. Simple as that. Capiche?"

The redhead nodded, feeling numb. _This place is so cut-throat... Will I even survive the week?_

"Good. Here. Wear this!" He tossed his justice jacket at her then lit a cigar without batting an eyelid.

"But it's yours, Smoker-san! I can't possibly take it!" She protested. Its not that she didn't appreciate the offer, it's just that he now has a completely bare upper body. Completely. Her face turned hot and she averted her eyes, trying in vain to hide her embarrassment from the man in front of her. Smoker chuckled heartily at that, making the teen's face turn beetroot. _Definitely_ _a bastard_.

"Quit yer whining, brat! I've got my Vice Admiral coat, remember? Sheesh! Getting all bothered by bare skin... You're so weird..." He laughed as he shrugged on the white trench coat. Jayden sneered and flipped him the finger before wrapping the coat round her shoulders. Its a bit difficult to put it on properly wearing cuffs, ain't it? She struggled and sighed.

 _THUNK._

The boat stopped suddenly; sending her staggering forward straight into Smoker's chest. Her blush increased a tenfold and she furiously shoved herself away in record time.

"We're here, Jayden. You ready?" He asked seriously. _Errm. Nope. No_ _I'm_ _not. She_ said nothing, just staring at the mass of unrecognisable buildings through the glass. They were huge. Jade couldn't tell the difference between them in the moonlight. _This_ _is_ _my_ _new_ _home. Hell_ _on earth._ she'd only just noticed that the entire harbour was enclosed in a sea stone cage. _Obviously to stop the idiots trying to leave,_ she mused. Still, it was guarded by sentry posts. The DF user could hear a faint ruckus in the background; singing and screaming of profanities mostly.

Smoker placed his arm round the girl's shoulders and forcefully steered her towards the gates. As they approached, two marines opened the door and saluted as they passed, Smoker sending a respective nod in their direction. _I can't do this. I really can't_. She couldn't breathe. She pushed back against his arm and tried to run. You can't blame her really! She was so scared. Smoker warned her to behave and walk. _Pfft._ Like hell. Jayden shrugged his arm off and bolted forward.

 _Whoosh._

Jade felt her feet disappear from beneath her; only to find that she was _again_ slung over Smoker's shoulder. _Oooh_ , he's a prick. The redhead cursed under her breath and kept trying to kick his gut while he walked. He simply ignored her struggling and strolled down the cobblestone pathway. _For_ _fuck's_ _sake!_ She groaned and fell limp, exhausted. She was far too tired for this shit. They reached a clearing, a stretch of grass before a massive building. It had a sloping roof, kinda like a warped piece of metal just slammed on top. The walls were made of a yellow brick; one wall was complete glass. It must've been fucking destructible for that to still be standing!

"Oi, oi! What brings you here, Smoker-san? Fancy another ass kicking, yeah?" Someone yelled mockingly and Smoker swore under his breath. Who's that? The curious teen tried to peer over the marine's head and failed miserably. She heard footsteps approach from in front.

"Not in the mood, Fire fist. Sod off and let me be, brat!" The Vice Admiral snapped. Jade sniggered quietly. He's so easily pissed. She heard a hearty laugh and a low whistle.

"Aww, shame! Who's your...ah...passenger?" He chuckled. Bastard. Her face flushed with warmth. She wished he'd put her down!

"No one special, brat!" Jade retaliated by kicking him in the chest. Hard. _Bastard_!

"Put me down, Smoker! I'll kick your ass!" She hissed. Smoker bluntly refused, knowing full well that the young redhead would leg it at the first available opportunity. He started forward, ignoring said girl's protests. The guy 'fire fist' who Smoker was talking to tailed behind and came into view. Oh. _Holee_ _shit!_

He was tall, had tanned skin and one _muscular_ chest. He had shaggy black locks that fell slightly over his deep brown eyes. Freckles dusted his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He tipped his orange cowboy hat to me jauntily in a greeting. It had red garrote beads wrapped round the base with two funky looking face badges attached. Two necklaces hung from his neck- one was a low hanging skull pendant and the other was a garotte bead choker thing. He wore black cargo pants rolled to the knee. And _no_ _shirt..._

Jayden's face bloomed with colour as bright as the hair on her head. Again. He winked at her playfully, flashing an easy smile as he did so. He was...well. Attractive. Very. The teen mumbled a quiet hello, looking anywhere but him. _God, I'm_ _so_ _embarrassed!_

"Well hello to you too, sweetheart! What's your name?" He whistled, easily keeping pace with Smoker's stride.

"I-Its Jayden. Jayden. D. Price... What's yours?" She asked, trying to hide her mortified face.

"Ace. Portgas. D. Ace! Funny ain't it?" He responded, obviously referring to our shared initial. She nodded pitifully, unsure how else to respond. _He's so easy going. It makes me feel safe_. She hadn't even realised they were inside the building, too busy trying not to ogle the guy. Jayden noticed the change in Smoker's posture. He became really tense, almost angry. Then she heard the heated discussion in the background. _Oh_ _dear. I_ _know_ _these_ _voices..._

 _"_ Put me down. Smoker. Put. Me. Down. Now!" The girl choked out. She couldn't do this, not now. Not ever. The redhead struggled wildly,her movement feral, almost. Her head spun on it's axis. Memories of that night crept up the sides of her vision; slowly warping and distorting her sense of reality with twisted whispers and splatters of red. _**Her** face_, **_their_ **_faces..._

He gripped the haunted girl tighter and kept walking.

"I thought I told you to get lost, Ace. I meant it." Smoker growled. Ace just grinned and kept trailing behind. The Vice Admiral stopped dead in his tracks, in front of a set of double doors. He swung Jade down to the floor and forced her through the door way. She growled, a string of low oaths under her breath, firmly planting her feet against the lino flooring. Nope. Not going in there. Definitely not going in there! She panicked- that dreaded itching sensation gnawed at her skull with a burning vengeance.

Suddenly, all her energy left her form, as if someone had literally sucked it right out of her bones. Her vision blurred again, the girl's head felt _really_ light. The walls looked like they were doing the mumbo step- Jade blinked rapidly and tried to rid her sight of those pesky black spots...

"Err, Jayden? You feeling alright?" Ace asked, his eyes watching the teen with concern. _No_ _I'm_ _not_ _alright! Her_ wrists actually felt like they were dipped in acid, wherever the skin made contact with the stone cuffs. It fucking hurt!

Jayden couldn't even shake her head. It didn't really matter anyway, she thought snidely, seeing as Smoker practically hurled her forward past the stands. What an ass! Speaking of asses, he pushed the teen so bloody hard that she tripped, turned in midair and roughly landed on her rear. _Ow._ The Vice Admiral guffawed at the shock plastered across her beet face.

"Shut the fuck up, Smoker! You're such an asshole!" The fiery redhead yelled in outrage, a rapid tick forming on her brow. **_Prick_**... The Marine just laughed even louder, this time the raven haired guy joined in. _Oh fuck my life!_ She sighed and flopped onto her back, too exhausted to move.

"Is that you, Smoker-san? You're late..." A slightly accented voice called drily. _Shit!_ Jade's eyes shot wide; she wrapped her arms over her head to cover the bold locks atop her skull. Kinda. The pissed teen turned onto her side and glared daggers at Smoker. She wished she had her trusty knives so she could play pincushion with him. So she could vent her anger in a stab-happy fashion.

"You bastard!" Jayden huffed at the Vice Admiral before turning to... _Mr. Ace? Yeah let's call him that-_ who happened to _still_ be smirking down at her. The teenage girl smiled sweetly, kinda wanting to play pincushion with him as well...

"Its best if you get outta here, Mr. Ace. Shit is gonna hit the fan pretty quick..." She clicked her tongue. He raised an eyebrow, his smirk slowly growing wider. She rolled her eyes. Tch. _Men. Jade_ heard the distant echoing of footsteps approaching slowly. She dragged herself to her feet, feeling like her body had been replaced with ten ton weights. Sheesh. She run her fingers through her crazy red locks, repeatedly. It was a nervous habit, and well she was shaking like a leaf- that's what Smoker thought anyway. Not to say that she wasn't nervous, cos she was! But she was actually snatching at the small hairpin slid craftily in the thickest patch of hair on her head. The teen hid her hands under the makeshift cloak adorning her shoulder; slowly working at the lock. _Come_ _on! Come_ _on_ _damnit!_

 _Click. Click._

The cuffs popped open with a quiet hiss. Thankfully, Smoker didn't notice. But Ace did. He looked at Jayden with mock horror, his eyes comically wide and his hand splayed dramatically on this chest. The redhead couldn't help but grin. He's quite funny, she thought idly, his carefree attitude was kinda catching. Quietly, she placed the cuffs on the floor behind her feet.

"Why'd ya take your cuffs off, brat?" The marine spoke without turning. Her jaw dropped open in disbelief and Mr. Ace snorted at the look. _What? How?_ The Vice Admiral sighed as two men rounded the stands and came into view, about a football pitch away. _No!_ The young convict spun on her heels and rubbed her wrists reflexively. Jade made a last ditch effort to spring free, only to be blocked - **again** \- by the marine. He looked the skittish teen dead in the eye and spoke gently under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

"Just get it over with, Jade. It'll only get harder the longer you leave it, kid. Please, for your sake _and_ theirs. Don't you think he deserves to know that you're alive?"

Tears, the traitorous things that they were, escaped from their feathered lash cage and slid over the pallid skin on her cheeks. Ace, who unashamedly attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation, cocked his head and smiled sympathetically.

"They're alright professors despite the 'less than stellar rep', Newbie. Some of the best actually! Respected by pretty much everyone in Grand line, even me! Shanks saved my little kid brother after all... I'll never stop thanking him for that!" He spoke wistfully. The wind user could tell from looking in his eyes that he really meant every word of what he said. She nodded and smiled weakly.

"I know. He rescued him from pirates who took him didn't he? He saved him from the enemy captain, and then from being eaten by a sea king. That's how Shanks lost his arm... Then he gave your brother the straw hat. Wait... Your brother **is** Monkey. D. Luffy, right?" Jade rambled. What the fuck was she doing? Was she going loopy from sleep deprivation? Ace looked at her, head still tilted to one side but with confusion written all over his face.

The redhead heard the footsteps much clearer now, louder. Their muted bickering reached her ears. Those stupid tears were pouring down her face like a river now, unstoppable, dripping from her chin and staining her shirt. A small hiccup slipped out her throat every now and then.

"How do you know that?" Ace asked, incredulous. A humourless chuckle left her lips. _Might_ _as_ _well..._ Smoker shot her a warning look. It was obvious what he was saying. _Don't_ _say_ _a_ _word, brat! Pfft. Since when have I done as I was told?_ Despite her emotional breakdown, she had enough balls left to raise a thin brow and sneer at the marine in defiant askance. Smoker narrowed his eyes and went to open his mouth. Jade scoffed and turned to Mr. Ace, mentally preparing for the inevitable fallout. If she was condemned to live in hell for the rest of her life, she might as well make it entertaining.

 _Heh. Too late, Smokey-chan!_

"Well , I know because... Because... Shanks is my uncle!" Jayden yelled.

" _ **What?"**_

The redhead turned to see two very shocked men behind her. One of them being Shanks. _Oh_ _shit..._


	4. Bitter Sweet Memories

_(~A/N~ Oh boy I'm on a rooooooooollllllll ya'll! XD My fav chapter yet; Shanks at his best. Gawd I love that man. *sniffs* You to Hawk- your chemistry is for the win. Also, a little insight to another OC of mine and a friends. You know who you are. *winks* Shout out to anyone who recognises them. No Flamers please. Enjoy. Ja Ne!)_

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

 **Dramatic emphasis**

* * *

~Shanks POV~

"How long are we supposed to wait, Hawkeye? I wanna get this over with! I want- no, I **need** a drink!" He moaned. The audacity of the guy- asking him to be sober. Pssh! He ain't always off his head drunk! Or tipsy. Well... Maybe most of the time he was a little woozy but still! The man pulled a sour face as he walked next to the stoic- looking swordsman. He shot the ex-yonko a death glare with his beady gold eyes. Shanks chuckled and gave a mock innocent look.

"Are you going to keep whining like a brat, Redhair? You're giving me a migraine. Look, I don't want to be here either. I'd rather be sleeping than talking to that _marine..."_ He drawled flatly. His tone became sharper, filled with venom as he said the word 'marine'. Couldn't blame him. After all, the redheaded man felt the exact same way. However, he _was_ a tad bit _curious_ as to why the old git would come calling in the middle of the night. About an _inmate._ And why it concerns us two blokes I dunno!

They reached the back entrance to the gyms. It was fucking huge, the main court was as big as a football stadium. Not to mention there were three other courts, plenty of changing rooms _and_ a staff room. All inside! It was bloody mental. Shanks chuckled darkly and pushed open the doors. Mihawk breezed past, his brightly patterned coat flapping as he walked. The pirate grinned. Only Mihawk could pull of the matching feather hat and coat look without looking like a Gaylord. Pfft. _It_ _must_ _be_ _his_ _spanishness, surely._

He trailed behind him, laughing. The swordsman slowed and glared at his childish companion over his shoulder. Shanks sighed dramatically and dragged my feet. He really wanted a drink! _There's nothing to do but wind up ol' hawky-san. That's not too bad I suppose!_ The red haired man opened his mouth to sing when he was so _rudely_ cut off.

"Don't even think about it, Redhair... He's late!" Mihawk growled, glancing at the clock mounted above the stands. It read twenty-three past twelve. Pfft. The ex-yonko laughed loudly at Mihawk's antics. He's such a stickler for rules.

"Hahaha! You're so easily pissed, Hawky-boy! This is _Smoker_ we're dealing with. He's not the most punctual of people!" He sniggered impishly.

Mihawk muttered a load of foreign bull under his breath. Probably a load of cuss words. Heh heh. The redhead rubbed his chin thoughtfully and raised an eyebrow. _I love this!_

"Careful, Dracule. Your Spanish is showing..." He murmured. The swordsman growled at him. _Ohhh. He's_ _pissed. He_ strolled alongside the spanish man and sighed wearily. _I dunno how I'm gonna to handle whatever bombshell Smoker has to drop on our bloody heads.._. The former pirate emperor was actually kinda nervous. A sudden booming laugh brought him out of his dark mumbling. It sounded like a cross between a fog horn and a bear choking. Was that Smoker? Mihawk and Shanks shared a look.

"Shut the fuck up, Smoker! You're such an asshole!" An angry voice yelled back. Mihawk smirked at that. Wow. The new kid has got some balls! The laughter picks up again, and someone else had joined in. _I wonder who that is? Sounds familiar..._

"Is that you, Smoker-san? You're late!" Mihawk spoke aloud. No response.

The pair strolled ever closer, rounding the corner of the stands to the open field. There he was, that pesky marine- in a vice admiral coat? The fuck? Standing next to him was Ace. The redhead sniggered. Why was he not surprised? Just then, a figure bolted behind the stands, facing away from them. Oh yeah? That must be the new kid. From what he saw, they had Smoker's trademark justice jacket around their shoulders. Well, that's weird. He loves that jacket!

Shanks bumped Mihawk's shoulder to get his attention.

"Don't think I didn't spot you smirk, Hawkeye! Whaddya think about the new kid? You like 'em. The attitude. Don't ya?" He repeatedly poked the swordsman's arm.

"No I don't. Its just another devil fruit brat with anger issues. So what?" He mumbled. Shanks grinned. _Liar._

"Yes you do. Liar! Liar, liar pants on _fiire_ ~" The redhead sang. His eyes narrowed, but his voice remained flat.

"No, Redhair, I **don't.** Leave me be!"

" _Yes, you_ _do!_ Liar..." He pressed. _Heheheh_. He loved winding up the stuck up swordsman. They continued this banter as they walked, the Spaniard getting more irate. The red haired man smirked as they approached. Shanks could hear the voices more clearly now- it sounded like a girl's. _Huh._ No wonder that Ace is hanging about- that little player...

"...from being eaten by a sea king. That's how Shanks lost his arm...And then he gave your brother the straw hat. Wait... Your brother **is** Monkey. D. Luffy, right?" The girl's voice echoed in his ears. _What? How? Who_ _**is**_ _that?_ The former pirate captain frowned, Mihawk looked at him sceptically with his brows raised. He quickened his pace slightly, impatient to see the kid. Shanks had to admit, his interests were well and truly piqued!

"How do you know that?" Ace asked. He sounded like he'd been floored. They were close, _so_ _close!_ Shanks was practically jogging- Mihawk struggled to keep up. He heard quiet sobs and a desolate laugh full of pain. _Who is it?_ He'd just rounded the corner and then received the biggest fucking bombshell of his life.

"Well, I know because... Because... Shanks is my _uncle!_ "

" _ **What?**_ " The word slipped out of his mouth before he could reign in his very muddled mind. _Kudos to you_ , _Smoker_. _You have well and truly outdone yourself..._

The girl snapped her head around, eyes wide and streaming. _Oh_ _my_ _good_ _lord._ Her hair was the same shade as his; it was chopped short and it fell over her forehead. She had a shapely frame- average in height. But her eyes... They were exactly like her mother's. A deep chocolate brown- but around the right iris was a subtle ring of gold, like a solar eclipse. Mihawk let loose a string of foreign words under his breath, his eyes closed and he pinched the bridge of his nose. Shanks couldn't believe it. He thought she was dead...

" _ **No!**_ " She murmured, shaking her head. Her breathing became erratic. She backed away slowly, gasping. Smoker reached out to grab her arm. The ex-yonko narrowed his eyes in loathing. _Who the fuck does he think he is?_ She violently shrugged him off. She teetered precariously on the spot- her eyes rolled in her head. A strangled moan left her trembling lips- a drop of blood oozed from her nose. It happened in slow motion... And with that, his niece collapsed like a puppet with it's strings cut. The red haired man moved without realising, catching her frail form before she hit the ground. _Holy_ _moses..._

"Jade? C-can you hear me kiddo?" Shanks whispered into her ear, cradling her limp body to his chest. She looked so pale... Her eyes were circled with purple. When was the last time she slept? _Shit!_ Her eyes fluttered uncontrollably, only semiconscious. _You're_ _alive! You_ _little_ _minx..._

"She needs to wear these, Shanks. She can't control her DF abilities while she sleeps... I've still got to talk to you guys about that. _Alone..._ " The former pirate glared up at the marine, pissed. He held a pair of sea stone cuffs in his hand. Really? Why does he want her to wear _those?_

"What were you thinking, Smoker? Bringing her _here?_ " Mihawk seethed. Smoker rolled his eyes.

"I'll explain later, Hawkeye. We're not alone. Fire fist! You're a student rep right? And a mentor?" Shanks glanced at the ravenette, who nodded in a daze.

"Good! You mind taking the new kid to her room? She's in solitary; room 1015! Try to be discreet. Oh and not a **word** of what happened tonight. Not a word!" Smoker warned, tossing the key at the young man. He deftly caught the object and slipped it into his pocket. He paced over to where Shanks was holding _**his** _Jade. He squatted down next to the very peeved ex-yonko, coughing awkwardly. He smiled nervously, gesturing to the sleeping young woman in his arms.

"May I? I won't try anything! I'll look after her I promise..." Ace whispered with sincerity. He looked him dead in the eye.

"You'd better. I've only just got her back. I mean it!" The red haired pirate growled and gingerly passed her over to fire fist, who scooped her up bridal style. Ace shot him a wink as Smoker snapped the cuffs onto her wrists. The marine also slipped the cuff key into Ace's pocket.

"Catch you later Shanks! Mihawk-san!" The ravenette piped cheerily as he backed out the double doors- with _his_ niece. _He_ _better_ _not_ _try_ _anything..._ The redhead stood up slowly and stretched; his piercing brown eyes never leaving Smoker as he did so.

"Three things. One, why didn't you tell me that she was alive? Two, why are you treating her like a dangerous animal? And three..." Shanks swung a fierce right hook at the marine's face in anger. _Crack!_ His head snapped backward from the force of the blow, his nose breaking upon the impact. Mihawk let off a bark of laughter as Smoker reeled and tried to push the joint back into place.

"I suppose I deserved that... But anyway, I didn't know _for_ _sure._ She was always off the grid. I only caught rumours, maybe a grainy picture with a vague shot of her. Not enough to know for sure. But she's connected to a lot of major incidents... She turned herself in.." Smoker muttered. _What! Why?_ He looked at Mihawk, shocked. _Surely that's a lie!_

"She said that she's tired of running from the consequences. She blames herself for her mother's death... She turned herself in knowing full well of the death penalty awaiting her. She wanted to end her life! I couldn't let that happen. I pleaded with the governing body, asking them to take account her age. I told them to send her here. It's the safest place for her to be. Especially with her powers..." He trailed off.

"What about her powers? She ate the kaze kaze fruit- so she has the power to create and manipulate wind. So what if its a little temperamental? She'll learn to control it!" Mihawk stated bluntly. Smoker shook his head.

"The night she killed Bayer, she unknowingly stole his DF ability- the power of the shift shift fruit! _That's_ why I sent her here! The moment I saw that she couldn't control it I took her here immediately. If the government find out... They'll experiment on her- seeing as they can't get near to Blackbeard..." Smoker explained.

 _Blackbeard..._ The red haired man's right eye twitched when he heard his name, the scars he left there smouldering with heat. But the former emperor didn't care about that. He was more worried about his darling niece...

Shanks shook his head in disbelief. His poor girl. Why didn't she come to him? She's been suffering in silence, alone all this time. Shanks was just glad she's safe now. Well, **safer.**

"But... Why didn't she come to me? I looked for her everywhere..."

He sighed.

"She thinks that you two both hate her for Yagari's death. She couldn't bear to bring you both pain. Or herself, for that matter!" Smoker spat. They both flinched at that.

"Make sure no one finds out. 'Specially those troublesome four. They're magnets for danger- that rubber brat in particular! They would start a bloody war trying to recruit her..." Smoker spoke tiredly. As much as he hated him, the ex-yonko knew he was right. Luffy _was_ a magnet for trouble- he could never sit still in a classroom for more than five minutes without causing some kind of ruckus! Then again, he was kinda to blame for that... The former pirate smiled sadly.

 _Yagari would love the childish boy to bits. God, I miss her..._

Shanks still remembered the day she turned up on his ship out of the blue, a decade after they'd last seen each other, and royally spun his world on its axis. Heh. That was the one thing about his sister that had never changed- she had a nasty habit of being unpredictable. And he _loved_ her for it.

The redhead looked at Mihawk and grinned crookedly. If Jayden was anything like her mother- _or_ _me_ _for_ _that_ _matter_ \- then this was going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride!

"I'll hang around for a couple days. See how she settles in. And do that bloody inspection while I'm at it- its well overdue! I'll let myself in the guest quarters. Night, Redhair, Hawkeye!" Smoker announced as he backed away from the both of them. Shanks frowned. He was still pissed that the marine didn't tell him. And so was Mihawk by the looks of it.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer, Redhair. I need a bottle of very strong alcohol..." Mihawk sighed. He actually looked kinda flustered for once. As he should be. He nodded in agreement.

"Hey Dracule, you remember when Yagari-san made her grand entrance on board my ship?" Shanks asked smirking. Of course he does- she made the swordsman blush after all!

* * *

~~10 years prior- ? POV ~~

"Down it! Down it! Down it!"

The raucous chant echoed throughout the Red Force- the mighty ship of the notorious Red-Haired pirates. Currently on the bilge deck, their Captain was chugging away at a _very_ _large_ tankard of sake, his crew members pounding their own tankards against the tables whilst cheering him on. The redhead rose to his feet unsteadily before emptying the jug's contents down his throat. He shook his head vigorously and smacked his lips together obnoxiously in delight; slamming the now empty container down onto the table.

"Wooooah, that was a _beauuutiful_ jug of sake! I think... I need another!" Shanks bellowed, laughing heartily. His face was flushed a bright pink from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. Boy, he was gonna feel that in the morning. He grabbed another casket of sake and slumped back down into his chair.

"Hahaha! Nice one Captain! Say, fancy a drinking contest?" A voice called from behind him. The man in question was Benn Beckman, the usually more level-headed member of the crew and one of Shanks most trusted men. But, the festive atmosphere and drunken cheer had mellowed the black haired giant. He smirked, slumping down next to his tipsy Captain.

"Getting drunk again, Redhair? You ought to get a more productive way to spend your time..." An accented voice tittered, slightly amused. Shanks turned to the doorway at the end of the bilge, peering woozily at the mystery man that addressed him. The man's tall, lean body rested against the doorway, partially blocking out the light and concealing him from view. Shanks squinted at the figure, struggling to recall who the familiar voice belonged to.

"...I feel like I should know you... I _think_ I know you... Who are you again?" The redhead slurred. He could've sworn he recognized the voice. Or maybe it was the sake. Yeah. Probably the sake!

The man sighed deeply, exasperated. He shrugged off the doorway and strolled into view. He wore a floor length trench coat- which had a bright red floral pattern on the sleeves and collar- with no shirt over his muscular chest. A sword as tall as himself was strapped across his back; a beautiful black blade curved at the end an had a bandaged hilt. A small dagger disguised as a cross pendant hung from his neck from a chain. He wore white pants held up by a belt; tucked into knee high leather boots. A wide brimmed hat decoradted with feather plumage sat upon his head; covering his face with shadows. The only thing you could see was a trimmed goatee beard framing his mouth. And a pair of strange, piercing honey coloured eyes.

"Aaaah! Hawkeyes! Its you! What brings you here? Boredom, I guess... Never mind. Come drink! We've got plenty!" Shanks gestured to the man wildly. The swordsman rolled his eyes and sat opposite the Yonko. A tankard was placed into the man's hands; the pirates around him in uproared laughter.

"So, Mihawk... Let's have a drinking contest. If you think you're man enough..." The swordsman glared at him incredulously before he reluctantly agreed, not wanting to lose to his former rival. And so, several barrels of sake were consumed by he pair and they still continued; even though most of the crew had passed out.

"Dracule! Let's make a wager! Let's see... If someone can... I dunno...make you _blush..._ then you owe 'em a favour!" Shanks slurred as he slammed down another empty casket. Mihawk raised his eyebrow at the Yonko in disbelief.

"And should no one achieve this task by the end of the day, which I highly doubt they will, then **you** owe me!" The swordsman smirked. Shanks grinned and held out his one hand.

"Deal!" He chuckled and grasped the hawk's hand. Suddenly, the air seemed to bend into itself; like a blackhole. The air crackled with static energy, making the hairs on both men's arms stand on end. The two men sobered immediately, their hands resting on their weapons, ready to draw them if necessary.

The air snapped out straight; a girl stood in its place- no older than eighteen or nineteen. She wore a hooded grey wrap around cloak that covered everything but her feet. She reached up and flipped down her hood. She had long snow white hair- half held back in a ponytail and the rest hung round her slim face. Thin arched brows accentuated her warm butterscotch eyes. A sly smirk played on her thin lips as she looked at the two men glaring at her. She raised her palms in a peaceful gesture, in an attempt to extinguish the ever growing hostility radiating from the pair.

"Easy, mates! I mean no harm! I'm just here to deliver a message to the capt'n of this vessel!" The girl piped in a cockney accent. She slowly reached inside her cloak with her left hand and pulled out a small piece of folded card- with the word 'Shanks' scrawled on the front in an elegant script. The captain frowned at the messenger in distrust.

"Who sent the message? And why would they go to such lengths as to send a child to such a dangerous place? This is a pirate ship, ya know..." The redheaded man asked coolly, staring the girl dead in the eye. She gulped nervously before chuckling sardonically.

"Sorry, friend, but that's a breach a client confidentiality if I tell ya that! And, well, they'll be pissed and I won't get paid! And I ain't a kid! I can fend for myself thank you very much! I've been in much worse situations than this and come out unscathed!" She smirked and held out the card to the one armed man. He snatched it from her fingertips and flipped it open. Shanks squinted at the words, confused.

"...well. That was informative!" He snorted as he reread the note. It said:

'I wouldn't change your current course if I were you, pirate-san. I'm calling in a favour- be seeing you from midnight onwards. Please be sober! XXX'

Shanks peered at Mihawk and asked what the time was. He sighed, replying with the number. Hmm. 11: 47... Meh. He sniffed and chucked the card over his shoulder, grinning at the snow-haired teen.

"Thanks anyways, kid! Hope you get paid enough!"

"Oh I will! She paid me _triple_ my price. _Triple!_ " She laughed. The girl sent a mock salute to the captain and the swordsman before flipping up her hood before disappearing in that strange vortex. _She?_ Shanks sniffed and staggered towards the storeroom.

"Aren't you the _slightest_ bit concerned about whoever sent this note, Redhair? And the fact it said that they'd be arriving shortly to call in a favour?" Mihawk asked with a sigh, shaking his head at the fact the redhead just wanted another drink!

"Nah, not really! Dun give a shit! If they try anything, then **they** will be the one who's sorry!" Shanks snorted and continued to wobble his way down the deck. Mihawk couldn't argue there. Even under the influence of god-knows how much alcohol, the Yonko always became deadly serious when the safety of his crew was threatened. And a serious Shanks is a force to be reckoned with.

The swordsman pinched his nose and closed his eyes. A warm haze flooded his skull, making the man feel slightly dizzy. Hmm. Perhaps he'd had a little _too_ much to drink! He sighed and strolled out onto the main deck; the icy sea breeze making his skin tingle. Gradually, the dull fog clouding Mihawk's senses ebbed away, leaving his head blissfully clear. Thank goodness.

Mihawk cast his honey eyes to the clear night sky above him. He admired the beauty of the night- the bright light of the moon and the stars. It was only in the most unexpected places that you could see a marvel like this- and he being who he is- Mihawk's sharp eyes never missed those extraodinary moments. He heard another round of jeering from behind him. It was three of Shank's most trusted men singing a shanty. They were Rockstar, Lucky Roo and Yassop; they leaned on each others shoulders as they bellowed the lyrics to the song:

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me.  
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot.  
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.  
We kidnap and ravage, and don't give a hoot!  
Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"

The drunken sailors laughed and stumbled about; yelling this song. The swordsman rolled his eyes and leaned against the ship railing, ignoring the fools. He had an uneasy feeling... Suddenly, the ship jerked to a halt, throwing everyone off balance and sending many sailors tumbling face first to the decks. Several confused and angry curses sounded from those who fell. They hauled themselves to their feet and gazed around, dumbstruck, as the ship suddenly started moving again.

"Well, that was weird!" Rockstar shrugged.

"I t-told you! These waters are plagued with ghouls of fallen sailors, hellbent on seeking **revenge...** " Yassop murmured darkly, eyes wide.

"Shut up, sniper! You chat so much bullshit, ya know that?" Roo snickered at his comrade. The sailors started arguing amongst themselves, not noticing that the ship was moving slower that it should. The swordsman raked his eyes over the surrounding seas. He knew that someone was approaching, he could feel it, but not a ship was in sight! Mihawk frowned. Usually he wouldn't meddle with his rivals affairs, but he was curious. Who would go to such lengths to send such a cryptic message?

 _ **Tock.**_

The swordsman snapped his head round to see a figure land in a dainty crouch; in the middle of the deck. He felt a grudging respect for this mystery person. For them to arrive so sneakily and he not notice their approach, it was quite a feat. The figure stood up gracefully and laughed.

"Fufufu... It's been a while since I've moved like _that!_ " A pleasant, smooth, sultry voice left the speaker's mouth. It definitely sounded like a woman's voice. _Interesting._ Mihawk could tell by the way she spoke that she was completely at ease- there wasn't a tremor of uneasiness in her words. She held herself imperiously, oozing so much confidence that it bordered on arrogance, it was like the woman held everyone on board in contempt.

"...Just how long do you plan to gawk at me, Mr. swordsman? Please do fetch your captain, whether he's sober or not, it doesn't matter!" The woman called aloud without even turning to look at him. Hmmm.

"I will do no such thing, woman. He is **not** my captain, just a pastime, and I would watch your tone. After all, you're technically trespassing on board a _pirate_ ship of all places..." Mihawk retorted sharply, slightly angered by her approach. She turned around at this comment, amused.

"Oh really, Mr. Swordsman?" She drawled patronizingly.

Mihawk narrowed his eyes; scrutinizing the bold woman in front of him. She wore all black- from the fishnet stockings that clung to her shapely legs, the beree that covered her hair to the trench coat that hung to her knees. No shoes were on her feet. The lapels of the coat were flipped up, artfully covering her lower part of her face. The only identifiable feature he could see was her eyes. They were a deep brown, but the right eye had a ring of gold around the iris.

She hummed and took slow, measured steps towards him- only stopping a meter away from the man. She peered up at him with her head cocked to the side, smirking.

"Such a unique pair of eyes... Beautiful, really! And can only belong to one man... The greatest swordsman of all time... Dracule Mihawk... Well you certainly _look_ the part! Very nice!" She tittered appreciatively, looking him up and down. She chuckled at the speculative expression on Mihawk's face.

"What? Still think I'm a threat? I'm unarmed! Look I'll show you..." She stepped back a pace, and smiled as she undone the buttons on her coat. _Pop. Pop. Pop._ She slid the coat of her shoulders, the item landing in a heap at her feet. She was wearing a black lace bra and a black lacy pair of mini briefs to match; showing her curvy figure. The woman's skin was glowing in the moonlight. She chuckled quietly and pulled off the beree. Bright crimson hair tumbled down to her chin.

"See! I'm unarmed... _Unless_ your unconvinced..." She smiled.

"Oi, oi! Who's the sexy bird, Mihawk-San? You gonna introduce us?" Rockstar whistled from behind. Her eye twitched in annoyance.

"Fuck off, small fries. You're no where near my league..." She growled at the trio over her shoulder. Mihawk chuckled at the woman's antics. She was quite appealing to the eye, if he didn't mind saying so himself. But that's not what caught his attention- it was her cocky confidence.

"Go and get your captain. I have some news concerning him. Its urgent!" She demanded. Yassop grumbled under his breath and stalked off, the other two glaring at the woman.

"Just who do you think you are? You bitch!" Rockstar growled and approached menacingly. The woman gave him a very unamused stare and sighed.

"There I was thinking that Shanks taught his lot manners... I really _hate_ that word..." She clasped her hands together and grinned.

"... **reject!** " She called aloud and pulled apart her hands; spreading them wide. In a moment, everyone except the swordsman and the woman were launched fifty foot into the sky. Several panicked screams filled the night; the sailors flapping their limbs in distress. She whistled a merry tune before dropping her hands- the sailors plummeted back onto the decks with a crash. She smirked at the crumpled forms of the men; folding her arms across her chest and pushed up her ample breasts.

"So Mr. Mihawk... What's it gonna be? A _strip_ _search?_ At mine or yours? I don't mind!" She murmured coyly, raising her eyebrows suggestively. _What!?_ Mihawk was thrown. This woman just hops onto a Yonko pirate ship- in nothing but her underwear- sends half the crew into the sky without batting an eyelid, **then** proceeds to offer him a strip tease... He felt a small flush of heat spread across his cheeks and his eyes went wide.

"Aww, Dracule-san! You're so endearing when you blush! I bet that's something that you don't see everyday... There I was thinking that you're so cold hearted! But you've got a soft heart under that stoic front... You're _so_ sexy Hawkeye!" She grinned crookedly and stroked the side of his face, down his neck and resting on his chest. She sunk her teeth into her lower lip and gazed up at him through her thick lashes. Mihawk opened his mouth to respond when Yassop and Shanks made their grand entrance onto the deck- stumbling drunkenly through the door out into the night.

"Oh okay then! Are you there one who sent the message? You're early- wait... Mihawk... You're _blushing! Ha!_ Its not midnight yet! I win! Haha!" Shanks pointed at the swordsman and laughed; jumping up and down on the spot in excitement. Mihawk muttered under his breath in a foreign tounge, turning away from the woman and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The woman laughed before turning towards the captain with a devilish grin. Shanks looked at her in confusion, scratching the back of his head. The woman sighed dramatically before striding over to the one armed man. They stood face to face.

"Do you really not remember me, you baka?! I said I'd come a callin' one day! Are you **really** that drunk?" She yelled angrily in his face. Shanks just blinked rapidly at her, causing the sniper behind him to snicker. The woman narrowed her eyes, slowly raised her hand and smacked the man sharply upside the head.

"Oi! What the hell was that for?!" He sulked, rubbing his tender head and wincing. She huffed in frustration and rubbed her face.

"For forgetting your young, talented and sexy **sister,** Shanks! For goodness sake! You're so dense! Nice to see you after ten years, by the way!" She deadpanned, her tone dripping with sarcasm. His mouth dropped open in shock, and so did everyone in earshot. It was so quiet that you could've heard a pin drop.

"...Yagari-chan? That you? _Boy_ you've grown! I've missed you kiddo! " Shanks beamed and hugged the woman tightly, the pair laughing merrily. He suddenly held he at arm length, a panicked look on his face.

"Where are your clothes? Don't tell me that what you came in!" He rambled. She winked at him, then looked back at the Spaniard by the railings.

" **What?** It's me where talking about. Besides, that sexy ass swordsman over there thought I was a threat to the ship, so I stripped to show that I was unarmed. Never said I wasn't _dangerous_ though..." She chuckled and blew Mihawk a kiss. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

"You're Redhair's sister? I was never aware that the man even had siblings... Makes sense now, though..." He sighed in resignation. She would be the Yonko's sister...

"So! Let's get down to business! Got any sake?"


	5. The New Kid in Town

_(~A/N~Hi guys! Here's another one for ya. It's more of an introductory chapter; a few new faces appear, a bit of angst from Jade and some beautiful dialogue between Mr. Ace and our protagonist! On that note, Ace is your typical popular guy in this story sooo... yep. Shenanigans ensue. XD No Flames please. I don't own one piece. Enjoy! Ja Ne!)_

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

 **Dramatic emphasis**

* * *

~Jayden POV~

 _Oh_ _holee_ _shit!_

She stared at the two familiar faces; her mind reeling. Oh dear. Oh dear. Mihawk closed his eyes and pinched his nose, cursing in Spanish. Shanks looked like he was going into cardiac arrest...

 **"No!"** She whispered, her voice scratchy and hoarse. Her head shook violently, scarlet locks flaying wildly from side to side. The young teen skittered backwards like a spooked animal. She couldn't do this! She wished she'd gone on the execution block now. It would be better for everyone. No more lives lost or ruined. She felt a hand clasp her arm firmly. ' _Oh_ _no_ _you_ _don't!'_ She jerked away from the offending limb in haste. Jade's vision went white and hazy; those terrible screams echoed in her eardrums. The bloody carnage flashed in front of her eyes like a god damn horror flick stuck on replay- the marine's bodies sliced in half and the pearly red liquid painting everything a deep crimson...

 _No_ _more. Please..._ A breathy whimper shuddered past dry lips.

The wind user felt something warm and wet drip from her nose. Everything turned into mush and her knees gave out beneath her. ' _Well_ _fucking_ _done, Jayden.'_ She cursed internally _'Dumbass'._ She realised that her body hadn't hit the floor yet. Or was she that out of it she didn't feel the impact?... _No._ Someone caught her for sure. She could feel the warmth radiating from whoever it was as it seeped into her skin like a balm. Jayden succumbed to the sensation. Her tense muscles loosened; the invisible load they were burdened with temporarily lifted. Her demons fled back to the shadows they came from, warded off by the familiar stranger's careless protection. The mystery person held the girl close, pressed to their chest. She could vaguely recall the familiar smell that assaulted her sinuses... _Hmm... leather, sandalwood and something strong_ _and musky... And is that **sake**?_ Jade tried to open her eyes, but they refused to cooperate. _Tch_.

"Jade? C-can you hear me kiddo?" Shanks' familiar voice murmured in her ear. He sounded panicked. Wait. Why was he holding her? Doesn't he hate her? The exhausted teen slipped further and further into the muggy haze; all sensation faded away. She was floating... ' _ **What?** What is going on? I'm so confused right now...' _

The redhead felt a weird swaying sensation, like she was being carried or some shit. She hoped not. That's embarrassing. Who could it be anyways? The swaying motion continued. Strange. Jayden felt like she was leaning against a radiator or as if she were hugging a hot water bottle. The girl forced her eyes open; the dim lights seemed to burn her retinas so she snapped them again with a hiss.

"Uugh... My head... _Damn!"_ Jade winced; her voice croaked. She heard a light chuckle from above.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty. You okay?" An annoyingly familiar voice teased. She squinted up at the offending speaker and immediately wished she hadn't. It was that Mr. Ace! Her mismatched eyes shot wide and her cheeks burned hotter than his chest. She meant his skin. Not that his chest wasn't hot. **_Oh_ _boy_**. Why her?

His grinning freckled face peered down at the debilitated young woman in his arms. _He's_ _carrying_ _me._ _ **Bridal**_ _**style...**_ _Oh for fucks sake!_ She swallowed nervously, staring at his...his chest. She sighed internally. She really was fucking pathetic... She felt as if she was on fire. God _damn_!

"What's the matter, babe? You look a little _hot_ under that pretty collar of yours... Not that I'm complaining. You are quite easy on the eyes!" Ace murmured saucily, biting his lower lip and looked her up and down. His mouth was set in a sexy pout but his eyes were practically howling at her in laughter.

" _Don't_ _go_ _there._ Put me down, prick! I ain't in the mood for poorly aimed innuendos!" Jayden hissed, looking away. Instead she focused on the scenery around her. They were walking through that courtyard again but were heading towards a tall, reddish bricked castle. It looked like your stereotypical mansion, even with the big-ass words "Solitary Block D" printed across a plaque above the doors.

"No can do I'm afraid! I was told to take you to your room, so that's what I'm gonna do! Besides, you'd probably pass out the moment your feet touch the floor..." Ace retorted, laughing. The redhead rolled her eyes and sighed. As much as she wanted to punch the bastard in the face, she didn't think that her arm would cooperate. Every muscle felt like a sack of gravel. _Not_ _fun._

The raven haired man expertly manoeuvred through the huge doors, butting one open with his shoulder before swerving inside- the whole thing was so well timed it was like a dance move. She wasn't even hurt in the process!

"You've done that before haven't you?" The wind user asked, slightly amazed. He nodded with a cheeky grin.

"I'm sorry to say that you aren't the first damsel in distress that I've rescued..." Ace spoke, straight faced. _Excuse_ _me?! Her_ mouth dropped open in shock. _Ohhhh_ , what a prick! She was actually kinda glad that she was temporarily paralysed from the neck down, because if she wasn't she would've strangled the guy there and then. Jade closed her mouth and ground her teeth. _How do I kick this guys ass when I can't move?_!

"...then again, most of the time I'm lugging my crew, or my brothers, that have passed out from alcohol. Usually mine, cos Luffy's lot have an extraordinary resistance to the stuff! But I much prefer carrying beautiful girls. Like yourself..." Ace added mockingly. She felt her cheeks flood with colour. Again. For the hundredth time that day.

"How do you manage to carry me along with that _huge_ fucking ego on your shoulders? Do you really think you're that hot?" She growled.

"I don't _think._ I _know!_ See?" And with that statement, his entire back and shoulders erupted into flames. The glowing tendrils licked his skin, illuminating the guy in an orange hue. The wind user cursed profusely and jerked away; trying to get out of his arms. She couldn't help but notice the way the flames danced over his body with a life of their own and how it encased him in a powerful aura... She looked at Ace in a new light. Literally. The black haired man looked dangerous. _Well, at_ _least_ _I_ _know_ _why_ _he's_ _called_ _fire_ _fist..._ She snorted mentally at that.

"Hahaha! You're too funny, newbie! Don't worry, I ain't gonna hurt you. Chill out! Where almost there!" Ace guffawed; the flames on his back dissipating with a sizzle. _Hmph_. What a prick. Scaring her like that! Jeez. He probably thought she was a weakling. She was glad about that.

He turned down a corridor. Red doors with black numbers printed on the front lined the cream coloured passage, his footsteps echoing as he walked. Hmph. She desperately wished she could walk... she cautiously flexed the muscles in her legs. _Hmmm_... ' _They felt a lot better'._ She mused tentatively. She thought they'd take her weight...

"Here ya go, newbie!" Ace said and stopped in front of a door labeled 1015. Suddenly, the bastard flung the teen over his shoulder, making her yelp in surprise. He chuckled as he pulled the door key from his pocket and unlocked the door. She growled at the asshole carrying her. Why does she always get stuck with the insanely good looking but arrogant guys who think they're god's gift to mankind?! She wished she knew.

Ace pushed open the door and walked inside; closing it behind him. He shrugged Jayden off his shoulder, letting the girl stand on the floor with his arm hooked securely round her waist. Her head spun slightly and white sparks flickered at the edge of her vision. Huh. God she's so fucking tired! But she knew that a restful sleep wouldn't be coming to her tonight. It never did when shit hit the fan- which was almost all the bloody time.

"Welcome to your humble abode! You've got a small bathroom over there, but no shower I'm afraid. You've got to share with the girls here. They're down the end of the corridor along with the baths... So, what do ya think?" Ace asked as he peered down at the redhead.

The room was small, but cosy, the walls painted with a soft cream colour. A bed with a few bags on it pushed up against the right wall, right up into the corner. A weird little cupboard/room next to it- probably the toilet. To her left was a decent sized oak wardrobe with a chest of drawers to match. A little table with a vanity mirror attached sat next to that, a cushioned stool neatly hidden underneath. A desk lamp glowed on top of the desk, casting the whole space in a soft, sunset orange. A clock sat on it. A window was placed at the far end of the space, mahogany curtains drawn across them. It was welcoming... Jayden really liked it. It gave her what she needed and what she wanted- _privacy._

"Sweet! Much better than all my previous accommodation anyways..." The teen answered honestly. Seriously, this could be a five star luxury hotel compared to the crappy little hovels she'd stayed in!

"Heheh, you're so weird! One minute you're pissed, the next you're as easygoing as Luffy! Jeesh. Here, sit down before you _fall_ down!" Ace grinned and guided the redhead over to her bed. She flopped onto the surprisingly comfy bed, sighing. Ace sat down next to her; picking up one of the bags as he did so. He pulled out some paper documents and handed one to the girl. She snagged the paper up warily.

"Your timetable. You only really get three lessons everyday, five times a week, the rest of the time is for extra training and whatnot..." Ace told her with a smile. It wasn't a flirty smile, or a patronising smile, but a simple _I-know-what-you're-going-throug_ h smile. In Jade's eyes, it made him look younger, happier. And it made her feel a whole lot better. But she still felt uneasy. The way he trailed off just then. Hmm... she decided to ignore the queasiness in her stomach and flicked her gaze to the timetable in her hand. _**Fuck.** Mondays... I hate Mondays..._ It read:

' _The_ _art_ _of_ _swordsmanship-_ _Prof. Mihawk_ _Dracule_ _\- hall_ _four_ _in_ _the_ _training_ _centre. 11am - 1pm._

 _The history of_ _infamous_ _DF_ _users-_ _Prof. Boa_ _Hancock-_ _room_ _106 in_ _the_ _Amazon_ _Lily_ _block. 2pm - 3pm._

 _The_ _art_ _of_ _Debate_ _and_ _literature- Prof. Shanks-_ _the_ _lecture_ _theatre_ _in_ _the_ _East_ _Blue_ _block. 3.30pm - 5.00pm.'_

Not. Fun. First fucking lesson. With _Mihawk?_ _ **Mihawk?!**_ Jeez. And not only that, Jade would have to deal with being the new kid who didn't know hide from hair about who to avoid in the class- but considering where she was, that'll probably be all of them! The wind user groaned in despair and raked her fingers through her hair.

"That bad, huh?" Ace said. She nodded once. Mondays. She has always hated Mondays. And now she fucking _loathed_ Mondays!

"... If you don't mind me asking... Is Shanks really your uncle? And why do you think they both hate you? I mean, they don't look like they hate you..." Ace asked, his face set in curiosity. He looked her dead in the eye as he rested his chin on his folded hands; elbows poised on his knees. _Ahh._ So that's what he was after.

"You don't have to go into any details. But, judging from your silence, he **is** your uncle, ain't he? I'm asking cos it might help for you to tell someone. I'm a student representative and a peer mentor for the likes of you!" Ace added quickly; obviously worried that he'd offended her. She raised her brow, eerily reminiscent of a certain Spanish swordsman, with a grin. Jade had a feeling he wasn't lying, but she also felt like he had another motive. Not that the teen could blame him for digging. Its what she'd do in his shoes!

"...not to mention the fact you run with the former pirate crew 'the whitebeards'- and now you're technically the captain- _and_ you wanna know if I'm recruit material!" She mused aloud with a knowing tone. His eyes shot wide and his cheeks tinged pink. _Heh. Look_ _who's_ _blushing_ _now, bastard!_

"Just because I'm new **here,** doesn't mean I was born yesterday. That huge ass tattoo on your back was whitebeard's insignia- which you're using in his honour right?" She continued; watching his reaction. He nodded at her with a resigned look upon his face.

"Don't worry bout it, Mr. Ace. I'd be doing the exact same thing. So, any advice for me before I pass out from delayed shock, exhaustion and emotional duress?" Jayden said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. He chuckled with relief before glancing at her through the corner of his eye.

"Well... If I were in your shoes... I'd avoid making friends within the first week. Steer clear from any confrontations- 'specially with any of the bigshots. They're known as the strawhats- who're led by my brother, the heart pirates, the kid pirates and, of course... The whitebeard pirates!" Ace said with a mocking tone, but she understood the seriousness behind his words. The young woman nodded in thanks before yawning in a very unattractive manner. Tch. Like she fucking cared! She was tired!

"...wait. Then... I should be avoiding you, Mr. Ace? Or are you the exception to that rule? And why do you call yourselves pirates still? Its a little weird!" She snorted through her yawning fit. Ace made a fake wounded expression, gasping in outrage. Pfft. This guy is just... There were no words for it.

"Well, I **am** a pirate- and always will be! Doesn't matter that we're on land! All pirates are trouble, and you're currently sitting next to a sinfully hot one right now..." Ace murmured, leaning closer to the redhead. And closer. And...closer. She didn't actually realise what he was getting at until he was _right_ _in_ _her_ _face..._

"What the hell?! Back off!" Jade yelled, her voice an octave higher than usual. She instinctively leaned backwards, her face flushed beetroot. Holee shit- what is he thinking!?

He stopped and laughed hysterically, tears forming in his eyes. He leaned back and flopped down onto the bed, his laughter causing the bed to shake violently. She glared at his shaking form, unimpressed. What an ass! Fucking hell! Gradually, his laughter subsided, and he stood up. He was grinning like an idiot as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key for her cuffs. He winked at the mortified teen before dropping the metal object into her lap.

"Here ya go babe! Your reaction is just... _Just... Priceless!_ I'll see you tomorrow!" He chuckled and ruffled her hair. Grr. Bastard. He walked to the door and pulled it open. He paused and turned back.

"Oh, one more thing. If you ever get tired of this 'lone wolf' thing you got going on, you're more than welcome to join my crew- after all, you're definitely the type of recruit material we're looking for! See ya Jayden!" Ace tipped his hat to her in a farewell salute, then walked out, closing the door behind him with a click. She listened to the sound of his receding footsteps with a wistful smile. Oh she really wanted to take him up on that offer- to not be alone anymore. But she couldn't. To put him and his crew in danger every bloody night because she can't control her powers!? Oh hell no. The last time she let her guard down like that she wrecked a town...

She sighed and decided to go through her bags. Why not? She picked up the first one- the one that had her timetable in it- and sifted through the contents. There was some notepads, textbooks for class, some basic stationary, basic toiletries, a bundle of beli, a larger map of the campus and a little book about Grand line Academy rules and shit. Tch. _Fun! She_ put the book to the side, telling herself to read it later.

She moved over to the large duffel bag at the end of her bed, unzipping the flap. She gasped in pure delight. _Yes! My_ _stuff!_ All her possessions were in it- clothes, knicknaks, everything! She pulled out a faded brown leather biker's jacket and smiled sadly. She was surprised it lasted so long! She shook her head and continued to rummage through the bag. Her eyes widened in awe as she grabbed another surprising object.

Her knives. Her knives were in here? How? She didn't know! And didn't care! They were in their holsters and everything! She were twelve blades in all, six blades in one holster and six in the other. Two were long, traditional stiletto daggers with a red hilt- their metal blades a sharp, shining silver. The others were thin throwing blades, no bigger than her hand. Oh how she missed her weapons! She stood up and put all her stuff in the cupboards and drawers, then ripped off her boots and crashed on her bed. She glared at the clock. 1:23am. Pfft. Could she be arsed to read at this time? No. She fumbled for the little key on the quilt, grabbing the item and curling it into her palm. _I better not take these off tonight._

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. How long would she survive in a place like this? She wasn't completely sure, but hell. She's faced worse odds than this! Hasn't she? Her head spun full of questions that she wanted answers to. Tch. Slowly, her chaotic head quieted, a calm settling over her. That's when she slipped back into her personal hell.

* * *

 _I_ _was_ _running. Running, running, running. I_ _was_ _so_ _tired, but_ _I_ _was_ _scared. The_ _nasty_ _man_ _was_ _chasing us, hunting_ _us. I_ _felt_ _a_ _sharp_ _tug_ _on_ _my_ _arm, urging_ _me_ _forward. In_ _the_ _dim_ _light_ _from_ _the_ _moon_ _and_ _backyard_ _windows, I_ _looked_ _at_ _the_ _person_ _running_ _with_ _me, leading_ _the_ _way. She_ _had_ _the_ _same_ _hair_ _as_ _me, bright_ _red_ _like_ _a_ _strawberry, but_ _hers_ _was_ _prettier. It_ _fell_ _short_ _to_ _her_ _chin, showing_ _off_ _her_ _slim_ _neck_ _and_ _the_ _small_ _scar_ _that_ _laid_ _there. It_ _looked_ _like_ _the_ _moon, a_ _thin_ _curved_ _line._ _Her_ _shoulders_ _and_ _arms_ _were_ _bare, her_ _alabaster_ _skin shining in the_ _faint_ _light. I_ _grabbed_ _her_ _hand_ _and_ _squeezed_ _tightly, I_ _never_ _wanted_ _to_ _let_ _go!_

 _She_ _turned_ _her_ _head_ _and_ _smiled_ _at_ _me. She_ _had_ _the_ _same_ _eyes_ _as_ _me-_ _deep_ _brown_ _with_ _a_ _gold_ _ring_ _around_ _the_ _right_ _pupil. Her_ _face_ _was_ _so_ _pretty, she_ _was_ _the_ _prettiest_ _lady_ _in_ _the_ _whole_ _world! Even_ _when_ _she_ _was_ _hurt... She_ _had_ _a_ _cut_ _on_ _her_ _lip_ _and_ _a_ _bruise_ _on_ _her_ _cheek_ _and_ _she_ _limped_ _a_ _little_ _when_ _she_ _run. The_ _nasty_ _man_ _hurt_ _her_ _for_ _protecting_ _me..._

 _"We'll_ _be_ _okay, baby_ _girl! I'll_ _keep_ _you_ _safe! I_ _know_ _you're_ _tired_ _but_ _we've_ _got_ _to_ _keep_ _going. I_ _would_ _carry_ _you_ _but_ _I've_ _hurt_ _my_ _chest_ _sweetie. I'm_ _sorry..."_ _She_ _murmured_ _quietly, pulling_ _me_ _by_ _the_ _hand. We_ _were_ _running_ _and_ _hiding_ _behind_ _a_ _load_ _of_ _houses, heading_ _for_ _a_ _small_ _rowing_ _boat_ _hidden_ _behind_ _a_ _cliff_ _at_ _the_ _sea_ _shore._ _We_ _stopped_ _suddenly-_ _she_ _peered_ _round_ _the corner_ _of_ _a_ _house_ _before_ _cursing. I_ _heard_ _shouting_ _and_ _yelling_ _and_ _screaming; doors_ _to_ _my_ _neighbour's_ _houses_ _were being_ _kicked_ _in! I_ _gulped_ _in_ _fear._

 _"We've_ _gotta_ _run_ _across_ _baby_ _girl. It's_ _the_ _only_ _way. Otherwise, we'll_ _be_ _caught_ _by_ _those_ _bastard_ _Marines! Are_ _you_ _ready?" She_ _whispered, looking_ _me_ _dead_ _in_ _the_ _eye. I_ _was_ _so_ _scared, but_ _I_ _wasn't_ _going_ _to_ _let_ _her_ _down. I_ _nodded._ _She_ _winked_ _at_ _me_ _playfully, like_ _she_ _always_ _did_ _when_ _I_ _was_ _upset_ _and_ _she'd_ _said_ _something_ _rude_ _to_ _make_ _me_ _smile. It_ _made_ _me_ _feel_ _better._

 _"After_ _three. One. Two. Three!" She_ _pulled_ _us_ _out_ _from_ _the_ _wall_ _and_ _into_ _the_ _open. The_ _road_ _was_ _wide_ _and_ _lined_ _with_ _shops, taverns_ _and_ _houses. We_ _were_ _halfway_ _there! Almost_ _there! Just_ _a_ _little-_

 _ **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

 _An_ _agonised_ _scream_ _left_ _the woman_ _in_ _front_ _of_ _me, she_ _collapsed_ _to_ _the_ _floor. No!_ _**No!**_ _There_ _were_ _three_ _bullet_ _holes_ _in_ _her... One_ _in_ _her_ _shoulder_ _and_ _two_ _in_ _her_ _tummy... Blood_ _covered_ _her body_ _and_ _pooled_ _out_ _around_ _her. She_ _was_ _even_ _coughing_ _the_ _stuff! She_ _made_ _herself_ _sit_ _up, one_ _hand_ _pressed against_ _the_ _holes_ _in_ _her_ _tummy. I_ _knelt_ _down_ _next_ _to_ _her, not_ _sure_ _what_ _to_ _do. So_ _much_ _blood. She_ _needs_ _a_ _doctor!_

 _"Seastone_ _bullets... Clever_ _bastards... Listen_ _Jayden, you_ _have_ _to_ _go_ _on_ _without_ _me_ _okay? Ill_ _only_ _slow_ _us_ _down_ _if_ _you_ _don't. Besides, with_ _these_ _wounds, its_ _only_ _a_ _matter_ _of_ _time_ _before-"_

 _"_ _ **NO! No. I'm**_ _**not**_ _**leaving!**_ _I'm_ _not_ _leaving, Mummy!" I_ _snapped. No_ _way_ _was_ _I_ _leaving_ _her_ _when_ _she's_ _hurt. She_ _rolled_ _her_ _eyes_ _and_ _grabbed_ _my_ _hand, smearing_ _it_ _with_ _the_ _red_ _stuff..._

 _"Sheesh... You_ _stubborn_ _ass_ _brat! Go! For_ _fuck's_ _sake,_ _ **go!"**_ _She_ _growled_ _at_ _me, crying. I_ _gulped. I_ _hated_ _it_ _when_ _mum_ _cried._

 _"Seems_ _like_ _you've_ _run_ _out_ _of_ _luck_ _this_ _time_ _you_ _little_ _whore! You_ _**and**_ _you're_ _little_ _bastard_ _brat! Tell_ _me_ _where_ _the_ _forbidden_ _fruit_ _is_ _and_ _I'll_ _let_ _this_ _little_ _bitch_ _live!" A_ _gruff_ _man's_ _voice_ _called_ _out_ _from_ _behind_ _me, and_ _something_ _cold_ _and_ _hard_ _pressed_ _against_ _my_ _head. Guessing_ _from_ _the_ _scared_ _look_ _on_ _my_ _mummy's_ _face, it_ _was_ _probably_ _a_ _gun!_

 _"...my_ _daughter...she_ _didn't_ _know! She-" my_ _mum_ _pleaded._

 _"Wait. This_ _little_ _brat_ _**ate**_ _**it?**_ _Well, looks_ _like_ _I've_ _got_ _no_ _choice_ _in_ _the_ _matter_ _then!" He_ _chuckled_ _evilly. Oh_ _no. I'm_ _going_ _to_ _die? I_ _started_ _to_ _cry. I_ _heard_ _a_ _clicking_ _sound, and_ _he_ _pulled_ _the_ _trigger. At_ _that_ _moment, I_ _was_ _shoved_ _to_ _the_ _side. The_ _bullet_ _hit_ _my_ _shoulder, grazing_ _it. It_ _burned_ _and_ _bled_ _a_ _lot. I_ _screamed_ _in_ _pain_ _and_ _fell_ _to_ _the_ _floor._

 _"You_ _bitch! Die_ _like_ _the_ _scum you_ _really_ _are!" He_ _growled_ _menacingly, pointing_ _the_ _pistol_ _at_ _my_ _mother's_ _head._ _ **No! No**_ _**no**_ _**no! I**_ _**won't**_ _**let**_ _**you**_ _**hurt**_ _**her**_ _**again!**_

 _Everything_ _seemed_ _to_ _move_ _in_ _slow_ _motion. The_ _air_ _around_ _me_ _picked_ _up, like_ _a mini hurricane. I felt_ _a rush of strength_ _flow_ _to_ _my_ _body, the_ _wind_ _around_ _me_ _forming_ _some_ _kind_ _of_ _armour. Without_ _thinking, I_ _lept_ _to_ _my_ _feet_ _and_ _jumped_ _forward. I_ _was_ _so_ _angry! I_ _hated_ _him. And_ _his_ _men. They_ _weren't_ _true_ _Marines. They_ _were_ _murderers. I_ _clenched_ _my_ _hand_ _into_ _a_ _fist- the_ _air_ _spun_ _around_ _it_ _super_ _fast, making_ _it_ _look_ _distorted. I_ _went_ _and_ _punched_ _him_ _in_ _the_ _chest. The_ _moment_ _my_ _fist_ _made_ _contact, it_ _didn't_ _stop. It_ _pushed_ _all_ _the_ _way through_ _the_ _muscle, the_ _bone... His_ _heart... All_ _the_ _way_ _to_ _the_ _other_ _side!_

 _Time_ _sped_ _up_ _again. Blood_ _spurted_ _from_ _around_ _my_ _hand, drenching_ _me_ _in_ _the_ _warm spray. I_ _gasped_ _and_ _wrenched_ _my_ _hand_ _from_ _his_ _chest_ _with_ _a_ _sickly_ _squelch. As_ _I_ _did_ _that, a_ _rush_ _of... I'm_ _not_ _sure_ _what... Washed_ _over_ _my_ _skin_ _like_ _volts. More_ _of_ _the_ _red_ _liquid_ _poured_ _out_ _of_ _the_ _hole_ _in_ _the_ _Marine_ _commander's_ _chest, painting_ _the_ _dusty_ _road_ _a_ _dark_ _red. I_ _could_ _see_ _right_ _through_ _his_ _chest!_

 _The_ _marine_ _coughed_ _once, spitting_ _put_ _red_ _spittle. His_ _eyes_ _had_ _glazed_ _over, the_ _life_ _had_ _left_ _them. He_ _toppled_ _backwards, falling_ _to_ _the_ _floor, dead._ _ **I**_ _**killed**_ _**him.**_ _I'm_ _a_ _murderer. I_ _hated_ _him_ _but_ _I_ _didn't_ _want_ _to..._

 _"Commander_ _Bayer_ _has_ _been_ _murdered_ _in_ _cold_ _blood! Kill_ _those_ _witches! No_ _mercy, men!'_

 _I_ _turned_ _to_ _see_ _his_ _battalion, all_ _thirty_ _of_ _his_ _men, raise_ _their_ _bayonets_ _to_ _fire._ _Their_ _faces_ _were_ _twisted_ _with_ _hate_ _and fear. I_ _looked_ _at_ _my_ _mother_ _on_ _the_ _floor, barely_ _awake. I_ _looked_ _back_ _at_ _the_ _Marines. Where_ _was_ _Mihawk-san? Where_ _was_ _uncle_ _Shanks? Where_ _was_ _Captain_ _Smoker? Why_ _aren't_ _they_ _here_ _to_ _help?_

 _"FIRE!"_

 _"NO!" I_ _yelled. In_ _a_ _hopeless_ _attempt_ _to_ _protect_ _myself, I_ _quickly_ _raised_ _my_ _hands_ _in_ _front_ _of me_ _in_ _a_ _choppy_ _motion. Just_ _leave_ _me_ _and_ _mummy_ _alone!_

 _I_ _felt_ _a_ _blast_ _of_ _air_ _leave_ _my_ _palms, so_ _strong_ _it_ _sent_ _me_ _stumbling_ _backwards. I_ _saw_ _it. It_ _looked_ _like_ _the_ _arc of a_ _sword_ _as_ _it_ _struck_ _down_ _it's_ _enemy, swift, sharp_ _and_ _brutal. It_ _ploughed_ _through_ _the_ _lines_ _of_ _men, screams_ _leaving_ _their_ _mouths. Blood_ _spayed_ _everywhere_ _like_ _a_ _flood, covering_ _everything_ _in_ _red. They_ _were_ _standing_ _twenty_ _meters away, and_ _it_ _**still**_ _reached_ _me, hitting_ _my_ _eyes. I_ _blinked_ _rapidly trying_ _to_ _see. It_ _made_ _my_ _vision_ _go... Go... Everything_ _was_ _**RED.**_ _I_ _panicked_ _a_ _little_ _as_ _I_ _watched_ _the_ _marines_ _fall_ _like_ _puppets_ _with_ _their_ _strings_ _cut. Which_ _is what_ _I_ _did_ _to_ _them! Some_ _of_ _them_ _laid_ _on_ _the_ _floor_ _in_ _pieces, limbs_ _missing, cries_ _echoing_ _in_ _the_ _night. I_ _didn't_ _want_ _this. I_ _just_ _wanted_ _them_ _to_ _leave!_

 _I_ _fell_ _to_ _my_ _knees_ _and_ _shook_ _my_ _mummy. Please_ _wake_ _up. Please! I'm_ _scared.. Her_ _eyes_ _fluttered_ _open_ _and_ _I_ _cried. She_ _gasped_ _when_ _she_ _saw_ _the_ _bodies, and_ _looked_ _at_ _me_ _in_ _shock. She_ _forced_ _herself_ _into_ _a_ _sitting_ _position._

 _"What... What_ _happened, Jade? What_ _did_ _you_ _do?!" She_ _asked_ _calmly_ _as_ _she_ _looked_ _at_ _the_ _bloody_ _mess. So_ _much_ _blood..._

 _"I... I... Killed_ _them, mummy! I_ _didn't_ _want_ _to_ _but_ _I_ _did! H-He_ _was_ _gonna_ _kill_ _you_ _and_ _I_ _didn't_ _want_ _you_ _to_ _die! I_ _didn't_ _want_ _anyone_ _to_ _die! I'm_ _sorry! I'm_ _a_ _monster..." I_ _sobbed. My_ _head_ _really_ _hurt-_ _it_ _felt_ _like_ _someone_ _was_ _scratching_ _it! I_ _grabbed_ _my_ _head_ _and_ _yelled_ _in_ _pain. I_ _heard_ _a_ _loud_ _rumbling, a_ _load_ _of_ _cracking_ _sounds. Everything_ _started_ _shaking..._

 _"Jade! Calm_ _down! You_ _need_ _to_ _leave_ _before_ _you_ _destroy_ _the_ _town!" She_ _yelled. I_ _looked_ _at_ _her. She_ _was_ _crying_ _real_ _bad, but_ _her_ _tone_ _was_ _firm. She_ _nodded_ _at_ _me_ _and_ _told_ _me_ _to_ _go_ _and_ _leave_ _her, or_ _she'd_ _never_ _forgive_ _me. She_ _was_ _right. I_ _should_ _leave. Before_ _I_ _hurt_ _anyone_ _else. I_ _stood_ _up_ _and_ _ran, not_ _bearing_ _to_ _look_ _back._

 _The_ _last_ _thing_ _I_ _heard_ _from_ _my_ _tears_ _was_ _the_ _agonised_ _cries_ _of_ _those_ _lives_ _I'd_ _destroyed._

* * *

She awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for air. Well fuck that. She hated nightmares. They're exhausting... Tch. Jayden groaned and pulled herself upright, looking at the clock's red LED display. It was eight thirty in the morning- the teen still had a couple hours to spare till she had to face **him.** Fuck. She sighed in despair and stared at the cuffs on her wrists. Time to take these little things off! She plopped the key into each of the keyholes in turn, the cuffs falling from her wrists. Jeesh. The skin were the stone was touching was bright pink and raw- it stung like a bitch! She grumbled moodily and shoved the cuffs under her pillow.

Standing up, she stretched like a cat, her joints clicking and her muscles tingling. Hmm. _Time to brave the communal showers, I guess..._ The young woman peeled off her ratty dirty clothes and threw them in the corner before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body. It just about covered what it needed to, it covered her chest all the way to the top of her thighs. Oh well- it was a girls shower so she's fine with that- at least more than usual. Jade was fucking weird like that.

She grabbed the body wash, shampoo and an extra towel before sighing deeply. _Here we go..._ She bundled the the lot into one arm before stepping out into the corridor. It was quiet; which was nice. Jayden guessed that it's still considered the crack of dawn around here. _Lazy ass fuckers_. She thought sardonically. Tch. She walked towards the showers, fearing the worst. Gosh, how bad are these showers? It ain't just a huge ass room is it? Her face twisted as she pushed open the door. Oh. Its not _too_ _bad._

The walls were lined with stalls, each had a curtain rail across it. The stalls reached her shoulders in height and they were covered in white tiles. Floor length mirrors and lockers at the far end. A huge traditional Japanese bathtub was slap bang in the middle of the room, the water steaming. All in all, the showers looked...civilized. Not too bad. The teen was pleasantly surprised. She picked the shower right in the corner on the left side. She slunk over and pulled back the red shower curtain. There was a little shelf underneath the shower head. Neat! The redhead dumped her shampoo and stuff on it before shutting the curtain.

Jayden sighed wearily and chucked the spare towel over the railing, closely followed by the one on her body. She wanted to get this over with. Turning on the hot water faucet, she pressed herself to the side of the stall, dodging the spray. The wind user cautiously tested the stream of water, adjusting the temperature where necessary. That's better. The young woman slipped under the hot water, letting the heat relax her muscles and wake her up. She smiled blissfully and grabbed her body wash, soaping up.

The sweaty stink and dirt she'd festered in the past couple days flowed down the drain. Hmm. Cleanliness. Lovely. Jayden started to wash her choppy locks, humming quietly. _Perhaps today wouldn't be too bad_... Then the sound of girly chatter and laughs reached her. Oh dear.

"Nami, why can't we just use the showers in your block? And why did you have to drag **me** along?" A voice whined, getting louder with each passing moment.

"You know why, Vivi! I have to _share_ with my crew, who're mostly boys. Not that I don't mind male attention and all, but not from _them._ Besides, these are a whole lot nicer! And there was no way in hell I'd be going on my own! So suck it up!" The other girl retorted. She could hear them fairly clear now, so they're probably about to enter. Oh shit.

"Why not take Robin with you instead of going all the way over to Alabasta?"

"I would've, but she was already gone. She wakes up far too early for me..." The girl answered. The wind user heard the swing of the door opening and footsteps entering. Damn. She turned off the shower and focused on getting dry, ignoring the now silent girls by the exit. _Its cool. Its all cool_. Jade briskly rubbed a towel all over her body, through her hair and over her face before wrapping it around herself. The redhead grabbed the other towel and squeezed her hair, wringing out the water. Folding it over her arm, scooping up her soapy products before she took a deep breath. _Time_ _to_ _face_ _the_ _music._

Jayden pulled back the curtain and stepped out; looking at the two girls in front of the exit. They too were wrapped in towels- and they looked like supermodels! They were both tall, quite curvy, long wavy hair. One had sky blue hair and the other a lovely shade of ginger, like a burnt orange but nicer. Just looking at these perfect figures felt like a sucker punch against the wind user's already damaged self esteem. Jeez.

"Oh, well lookie here... I told you we were due for another one! I wonder..." The orange haired girl trailed off, looking Jade up and down with a gleam in her eyes. For some reason, the way she looked at the young woman... It pissed her off. She looked at the teen as if she were scum, like she was dirt. Jade kept her face confused-ish and blank, but inside the girl was fuming. She wanted to send her flying with a punch to her gut. But she kept cool. She obviously was stronger than she looked. The young convict tilted her head to the side and frowned slightly.

"I'm sorry... You have me at a loss..." She asked politely. She smirked and stuck out her hand.

"I'm Nami. This is Vivi. And you are?" She said, her hand still out. Jade grabbed her hand firmly and shook it once.

"Jayden. Nice to meet you!" The wind user smiled sweetly. She smiled back and stepped out of her way. The teen quickly pushed through the doors. The moment she passed, the orange haired girl laughed. As Jayden stalked off to her room, she caught her last parting shot.

"Jeesh. If that new kid is as stupid as she looks, she won't last the day!" The girl sniggered. Said new girl snarled under her breath and kicked the dorm room open, slamming it shut with a resounding thunk. **Fuck.**


	6. The Worst Generation, Seriously?

_(~A/N~ Here we go. Another one. Be proud of me guys. Be proud. Anyways, more new faces and Jayden inadvertently causing trouble for herself. Lol. Don't own one piece. No flames please. Enjoy! Ja Ne!)_

' _Thoughts_ '

"Speech"

 **Dramatic** **emphasis**

* * *

~Jayden POV~

 _Fuck my life..._

She leaned against her bedroom door, taking some very deep calming breaths. _Tch_. She's lucky that Jade didn't kick her ass... Pfft. The girl shook her head and tore the towel from her body angrily. She stormed to her little toilet, aggressively going about her morning rituals. _Little bitch_! But she supposed it's good that they thought she was weak... they're more likely to ignore her. And give her the element of surprise. Well... Mr. Ace probably wouldn't ignore the teen if their last encounter was anything to go by. But Jayden could handle his antics. She hoped so.

The wind user sighed and decided to get dressed. After chucking on some underwear she donned a pair of baggy faded jeans held in place by a brown belt, a white shirt that fit nicely to her body but didn't strangle her chest, a dark grey hoodie and her brown leather jacket on top. She checked myself in the mirror. Not too bad she guessed... not like she actually gave a shit anyways. She was going for unnoticeable, not flamboyant thank you very much! She opened her top drawers and pulled out some socks and her choker necklace. The thing was made of simple black leather adorned with a grey stone and a pearl drop hanging down from the centre.

The redhead smiled fondly and put it on- no one could see it but still. It was her mother's. And it had a little sea stone built in- it came in handy when jade got pissed off- it stops those pesky little knee jerk reactions she suffered with. So she can only hurt someone on purpose... The teen chuckled darkly and plopped onto mher bed, pulling on said socks and donning her boots. Jayden glanced at the clock.

9:30. _Damn_.

The redhead decided to have another look at the map as to commit it all to memory- she didn't fancy walking around with a map under her nose. Nothing screams ' _Hi I'm a newbie round here'_ more than asking for directions, right? She's got to admit, the layout was kinda cool. It was modelled after a compass and all the buildings were named after places.

There were four main buildings- the East Blue block, the Sports centre to the west, the Amazon lily block to the south and the Atrium building to the north. The staff living quarters were far off in front of the Atrium block, the residents quarters were placed evenly around the edge, sentry towers placed in between. The solitary block- where she was- was far off to the south behind the Amazon lily block... The teen frowned when she noticed a little bridge behind her buildings location on the map- it lead to a well guarded little island called 'New World'. _Hmm_. _I got a really uneasy feeling about that place..._

She shrugged it off and tucked the map away, picking up the Grandline rule book instead. It talked about code of conduct, the reasons she was sent here, the basic bullshit. It also talked about her lessons. It said that the more effort the young woman gave and the more lessons she attended, the more beli she would earn. Sweet! The wind user supposed she had a reason to go now... but she still wasn't happy about seeing Mihawk. Tch.

Jade huffed and flipped the page. She found out about each of the main buildings. East blue held all the English, Maths and Science related studies. Amazon lily held all the history, geography and language studies. The Sports centre... well, its all about dance, sport and fighting and shit. As you could probably guess. The Atrium held the huge ass cafeteria which everyone used, the library- sweet! And a load of shops; restaurants, clothes shops, stationary shops and even taverns! The redhead grinned. Well at least the night life wouldn't be boring around here!

She snapped the book shut and chucked it onto her drawers. _Now what to do? Oh yeah!_ The young convict jumped up and switched off the lamp before rushing over to her windows. Throwing open the curtains, she peered outside. Jayden could clearly see the bridge that was on the map from here. Both sides were heavily barred with sea stone and guarded by sentries. She squinted at the little island. It looked like a cross between a heavily guarded fortress and a five star hotel- but the scary thing about it was she didn't see one person. It looked completely deserted... a foreboding shiver wracked up her spine. She grimaced.

The wind user turned away from the sight, determined to ignore the worrisome feeling. _Okay...now what? How bout the library?_ She shrugged. It's only 10am and she's got time to kill. And its probably best that she learnt the layout, right? The girl grabbed the small messenger bag from the floor and stuffed it with a notebook and some pens and shit before slinging it over her shoulder. She took some beli from her cupboard and shoved it into her sock. Better safe than sorry. Like she was gonna get mugged on her first day hanging out with pirates. Tch. The redhead picked up her room key, which was attached to a lanyard, and made for the door. Then I saw my knives and hesitated. Hmm... I might need those...

After a moments debate, I snatched up one set of knives and hid them under my leather jacket and hoodie- just to be safe. Okay. Here we go. I opened the door and stepped outside, closing it and locking the door behind me. I slung the key round my neck and tucked it down her shirt before flipping up her hood. Seeing as she'd like to stay as inconspicuous as possible, hiding her distinctive hair was a must.

Jayden sauntered down the corridor, listening for trouble as she went. The last thing she wanted right now was to get in a fight... the youth turned down the corridor and exited the double doors. The cool breeze hit her, the smell of the sea strong in the air. It was a lovely morning. The sun was out, a few clouds dotted in the sky. She could see all the buildings clearly, all the greenery and the trees, the smooth pathways weaving in between. The girl smiled. The Academy was actually quite pretty, very appealing to the eye. But could she survive here? She wasn't too sure.

She strolled along the paths and followed the signs on lampposts towards the atrium. The wind user spotted a load of loud teens tearing through the middle of the field. They were all dressed in punky or steampunky stuff- the spikes and googles and whatnot. They looked really intimidating... one of them had long, blonde hair and he wore a mask. He followed a tall red head.

Jayden really couldn't talk without calling herself a bloody hypocrite, but his was BRIGHT red. Like fiery oranegy red! He styled his hair into crazy spikes, only adding to the fiery appearance. Square aviator goggles perched amongst the crazy strands. A floor length purplish fur coat draped over his shoulders, a blue unbuttoned waist coat was over his chest. His _bare_ chest. Two scars were etched onto his very muscular chest... _oh for fuck's sake!_

The teen blinked and shook her head. _Jeez_. Her face was on fire. Again. The odd eyed girl turned and sped down the path, trying to forget the guy. Why was there so many guys who're good looking? Then again, he was probably an asshole... She approached the atrium. It looked like a town hall but three times bigger! It was styled in traditional red brick and wood panelling. Jayden neared the automatic doors and they opened with a hiss.

It was quiet inside. Some kids were seated around the edge, talking quietly. The whole area was open plan. Computers were at the right side along with some study desks. The left was were all the books were. It was amazing! Little couches and chairs were placed by the windows. The redhead spotted a huge clock stuck above one of the shelves. It was half ten. She sighed. At least she had enough time to find a book to read. The wind user idly browsed the lines of books in front of her, looking for something exciting.

"Here. This one's good. A lot of adrenalin fuelled action and full of plot twists... seems like your thing. Am I right?" A soft mellow voice called from behind. Jade turned around to see a tall girl holding a book to out. Mismatched eyes studied the woman before her.

She had a slim build, willowy but graceful. She had long, straight black hair that reached just below her shoulders and a wispy fringe that fell neatly over her forehead. Her eyes shone with intelligence, they seemed to analyze my every move. Her nose was long and thin, in perfect proportion to her face. A small, friendly smile played on her lips as she watched her. She wore similar clothes to Jayden- a close fitting blouse and jeans with simple boots. She couldn't help but smile at her- she seemed familiar somehow.

"That you are! My name is Jayden. And you are?" She said and gingerly took the worn looking paperback from her hand. She smiled warmly.

"My name is Robin. Pleasure to meet you. Are you new here?"

 _Robin...as_ _in_ _Nico_ _Robin?_

Oh. So that's why she seemed familiar. The teen seen her bounty posters enough. She nodded in response before looking at the clock again. Damn. She best not be late for his lesson... he'd have her head. Really.

"What's your first lesson? I'd be happy to show you the way..." Robin asked. Jayden paused- she had mixed feelings about this girl. On one hand, the teen was so glad she was being kind to her, so completely fed up of all the bullshit she'd put up with. But on the other, it made the wind user wonder if she had an ulterior motive.

"Swordsmanship with Mihawk-san. I really ain't looking forward to it to be frank!" The young teen sighed. The raven haired girl laughed quietly at Jade's reaction, causing her face to flush in embarrassment.

"Now that is a coincidence... same here. Come, I'll show you the way!" She said as she walked to the exit, gesturing for the new girl to follow. She did so gladly, deciding that she didn't really care if she had another motive. Everyone has an angle to play after all- even if they don't care to admit it. The pair walked in silence for a while, admiring the clear blue skies and the clean air. They approached the big ass sports centre- that funny looking building in yellow brick- and the redhead got real queasy all of a sudden. She knew this wasn't gonna end well. She just knew it.

When they waked through the glass doors, it was pure chaos. Kids were running through the halls, fighting with each other. Either that or they were drinking and singing shanties _really_ _badly._ Jeez. Jade winced every time they tried to hit a high note. Boy, if her mother were here, she'd kick their ass for 'disgracing the song' or something like that. The young convict sniggered quietly, assessing the crowd before her. Quite a lively bunch this lot!

There was one corridor, however, that was completely empty. It lead straight to the hall we wanted as well! The pathway was about twenty meters long and lined with metal lockers. She took a step towards it but hesitated. Something was up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll get torn to pieces! The captain of the kid pirates, Eustass kid, can manipulate metal. And he's quite sadistic!" Robin said calmly. Jayden shot her a look. _How can she talk about that kinda stuff so calmly?_!

"...Fair enough..." The shocked teen mumbled quietly and trudged after the strange girl. Which wasn't easy, seeing as she had to dodge every Tom, Dick and Harry that went charging down the corridor. Eventually she reached her side again. Robin smiled cordially before explaining how his lessons worked- the first half was written work or 'independent training' for those who'd finished, the second half was for actual sword fighting. Or 'sparring' as she called it. Tch.

She asked if Jade wanted to sit with her and her crew and the wind user politely refused, saying that it would be unfair to her fellow peers if she just intruded out of the blue. But in reality, she wanted to steer well clear of that Nami girl, in case she pissed her off and she did something stupid. And to avoid the inevitable probing questions. Sheesh.

"What are you in for, Jayden?" She said all of a sudden, almost catching the fiery redhead off guard for a moment. _Hmm_. _This girl is good_. After marvelling at Robin's blunt approach, Jayden decided to be cryptic and see what the famous demon of Ohara would do.

"I've been... _involved_ in some serious shit over the past few years... Arson, murder, treason... You name it! Been there, done that and stole the fricking tee shirt!" The new girl said with a smile.

"Fair enough..." Robin said calmly. They walked in a comfortable silence after that. She knew full well that Jade was being intentionally vague- she's not stupid! But the teen was grateful that she let the matter drop. All too soon, however, the diverse course to her lesson was over.

 _Here_ _we_ _go..._

They walked into the massive open space, several spectator stands lined the walls and were jam packed with kids. Everyone seemed to huddle in their own groups; there were the odd couple sitting on their lonesome. _Like I would be doing.._. _**Great.**_

" **ROB-IIIIN! OVER** **HEEERRE!"** A loud-as-fuck voice yelled from the girl's right. The pair both turned to see a gangly teen grinning and waving like crazy from the top row of the stands. He wore a red sleeveless top unbuttoned all the way down- showing his chest. **Again**. For fuck's sake... Anyway. He also donned some jeans cut off at the knees, straw sandals and a straw hat.

Jayden couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm. This was obviously Luffy! She looked up at his friendly eyes, childish grin and scarred cheek. _Mum_ _would've_ _gone_ _nuts_ _over_ _this_ _guy..._

"Are you sure you don't want to sit with us? It wouldn't be a problem..." Robin asked again, a hint of concern in her tone. She probably thought the DF user looked a little lost. Jade shook her head and declined yet again, her mismatched irises scanning the crowd. She clocked the green haired swordsman, that Nami girl, some skeleton dude, a Pinocchio look-alike, a body builder on steroids, a blonde curly browed dude and a ... _Reindeer? Cute!_

The redhead saw several other groups near them- the fire headed punk from earlier. A bloke with blue hair, a goatee, a funky white and brown spotty hat, a yellow hoodie with a weird smiley face on it and he carried a nagitana. And... _Oh_ _no. Mr. Ace!_

Jayden quickly waved Robin off and bolted to the nearest seat at the front. That way, she could make a quick escape...

 _Thwack._

Something bounced off the back of the teen's head. _'What the fuck? Already?'_ Jayden prayed to whatever god was listening for patience. _And so it begins_. She looked down to see a crumpled piece of burned looking paper sitting innocently at her feet. The redhead deftly scooped the offending item up into her hands, glaring over her shoulder to see the hotshot smirking back. He gestured to the still smouldering parchment enclosed in her fist with his eyes. _What?_

Frowning, Jade carefully unravel the paper to find a message scribbled inside.

 _'Heya_ _babe!_

 _Just_ _wondering_ _if_ _you've_ _decided_ _to_ _join_ _our_ _crew_ _yet? I_ _know_ _it's_ _short_ _notice_ _but_ _if_ _you_ _haven't_ _already_ _noticed-_ _I'm_ _not_ _the_ _most_ _patient_ _of_ _people! If_ _the_ _answers_ _no-_ _don't_ _tell_ _me. I'll_ _change_ _your_ _mind. I'm_ _not_ _taking_ _no_ _for_ _an_ _answer!_

 _One_ _more_ _thing; what's_ _with_ _the_ _baggy, boyish, hobo_ _get_ _up_ _you're_ _rocking? It_ _doesn't_ _flaunt_ _your_ _lovely_ _assets! But_ _no_ _worries. I_ _saw_ _you_ _last_ _night_ _in_ _that_ _tight_ _top_ _and_ _jeans. Boy, you've_ _got_ _a_ _mighty_ _fine_ _ass!_

 _Yours_ _truly,_  
 _Mr. Sexy, egotistical_ _hotshot!'_

Her mouth flopped open in shock. _Why? Why couldn't he leave that shit out? Must he?_ She huffed in exasperation and crushed the stupid little note into nothing. She felt the paper turn to ash between my fingers. Tch. Good bloody riddance.

Ace's cocky, patronising chuckle echoed in her ears. _Ooh. Fucking asshole_. She gives him her most evil _I'll-fucking-kill-you-later_ glare over her shoulder. The ravenette simply grinned wider and winked suggestively.

"Who's that you're talking to, Fire-Fist ya?" The blue goatee dude asked in a bored tone. He seemed perfectly relaxed sitting amongst the nutters- making the girl wonder just how crazy **he** must be...

"The new kid. Soon to be my new crew member!" Ace replied, leaning back in his chair and throwing his arms behind his head. _What? Oh_ _for_ _crying out_ _loud!_

"Tch. You fucking wish ya hot-headed prick!" Jayden growled at him from under her breath, _just_ loud enough for him to hear. Ace shrugged and kicked his feet up onto the flip up table.

" **What! Aaaaace!** I didn't know you had a new crew mate!" Luffy gasped in shock. He used his freaky rubber ability to stretch his neck _all_ _the_ _way_ _over_ to his brother, so he could glare at him face to face. Ace smirked before jerking his brother's hat over his eyes.

"Not yet, baka! But soon to be... The newbie really ain't got much of a choice!"

The young woman noticed that the hotshot avoided calling her by my name, or even 'she' or 'her'. And for that she was bloody grateful!

"Really? The brat don't look like much, ya!" Blue beard said with a smirk. _What? Jade_ looked at the guy from the corner of her eye; he sat there staring at her in contempt while fiddling with a... Scalpel? Yep. Definitely insane. All of 'em!

Blue beard caught her gaze with his strange grey eyes. He raised his eyebrows and made an _am-I-wrong?_ face. Jade just sighed and rolled her eyes and turned away completely; facing the front and avoiding temptation. Little bastard. The wind user decided to flip up the little desk attached to the seat, resting her arms on it. She's **so** not in the mood for cocky bastards. Burying her head into her arms, she cloaked her face in darkness and muffled out Ace's antics.

"Feet _off_ the desks, Fire brat! I have told you this enough. Next time I catch you, you will have no legs attached to your body. Understood?" A rather pissed sounding Spaniard remarked from _right in fucking_ _front_ _of her._ **Shit.**

The whole gym fell quiet; the deafening ruckus morphing to a distant chatter in a matter of seconds. Even the Strawhat lot- who don't really give a flying fuck as to what they do and what the consequences are- have piped down quite a bit!

"And you, new brat. I don't tolerate laziness at the best of times. I don't care if you arrived in the middle of the night or just ten minutes ago! Sit up and pay attention. _You_ _of_ _**all**_ _**people**_ should know better!"

Jayden's muscles tensed instantly at the not-so-subtle abrasive comment. Inquisitive murmurs stirred in the air, obviously curious as to what the swordsman was implying. Great. _Thanks_ _a_ _bunch_ _for singling_ _me out, Hawkeye!_ She cursed inwardly, wishing she could just send his pompous ass flying across the room- but then again, he was probably expecting that from the hot headed girl. Bastard.

Instead, jade decided for a more lax approach, but still just as annoying. She simply sighed dramatically and lifted her head, shifting one arm up so she could rest her head on her fist. She gazed at him with a bored expression.

"I wasn't sleeping, Mihawk-san. I was simply trying to drown out the total bullshit that Mr. Ace was spouting. I failed. Miserably!" The redhead deadpanned, staring up at the swordsman.

 _Silence._

Pfft. _Whatever. Don't really give a shit to be frank_. Mihawk closed his eyes, pinched his nose and breathed very deeply. Jayden couldn't help but feel smug at that- it seems that she can still ruffle those feathers of his. Once he'd composed himself, he shot the teen a chilly look before chucking a thick, A4 text book onto her desk.

"I assume you are still familiar with what I taught you, yes?" The swordsman murmured under his breath. She nodded once, hardly moving her head. But with his hawky vision, the girl doubted he missed it!

"Good... I want everyone to complete unit five subsection C by noon! New brat, do the same!" Mihawk yelled, talking to everyone in his accented English.

She sighed in dread before pulling a Biro out her bag and flipping open the textbook. Great. The whole section was about techniques used in fencing- a bit tedious to write about but it was easy as pie. In no time at all, the teen finished that section. Cool. She glanced at the huge LED display clock- 11:25.  
Jade decided to continue the unit sections out of boredom, knowing full well that getting ahead in this class was ideal. Mihawk is her fricking teacher for crying out loud!

When that was done, It was 11:42. She put my pen down, shut her textbook and went back to resting her sore head.

"Are you trying to annoy me, new brat? Because it is starting to work..." The honey eyed man called out in a deceptively passive tone.

Jayden raised her head with an effort; looking for the swordsman. There he was, the other side of the hall, sitting at an oak desk marking papers.

"I've finished the whole unit, Mihawk-San!" She groaned. The swordsman simply held out his hand, making a brief 'come here' gesture with the tips of his fingers. _Oh_ _for_ _fuck's_ _sake... He's_ _doing_ _this_ _on_ _purpose!_

Cursing quietly under her breath, she snatched up the book and hauled herself from her seat. Jade could feel the several pairs of eyes boring into her back as she trudged over to Hawkeye's desk. The teen placed the book into his outstretched hand before rubbing her temples gingerly. Boy, she was tired. She could sleep like the dead right now!

Dracule flicked through the DF user's answers with ease, his honey eyes skimming across the page. He double ticked each answer with red pen and shut her textbook with a thud.

"Put your belongings into one of the cabinets over there. Then pick up a foil and practically demonstrate the techniques you've written here upon the mannequin!" He ordered sharply whilst he reorganised his already neat desk. It was like her very presence made him pissed- like when you've got a splinter in your foot but you can't get rid of it.

 _Great. I_ _fucking_ _knew_ _he_ _hated_ _me!_

She did as was told, feeling a little numb. She didn't bother with the armour, seeing as she was only practising on a dummy. She lifted a foil from the weapons cupboard- it was a light, thin blade that was capped at the end- and walked over to the practice dummy.

 _Okay_ _buddy, time_ _to_ _play_ _pincushion_ _with_ _you..._

* * *

 _~~~~~ ? POV~~~~_

"Who's that you're talking to fire fist, ya?" Law asked, feigning disinterest. He had heard that a new inmate had arrived, but he didn't expect them to arrive so soon... The very fact that their arrival was so _hush_ _hush_ had immediately sparked the pirate's interest.

Ace glanced at him with a smirk, his dark eyes glinting with amusement.

"The new kid. Soon to be my new crew member!" He replied casually, as if the deal was already done. Judging by the way the dude snapped his head round and glared at fire fist, Law assumed that this was not the case. The new kid growled something at Ace, too quiet for Law to decipher.

The black haired pirate just shrugged indifferently and kicked his feet up onto the table, all whilst patronising his Strawhat brother. Law decided to have a little fun, _'to light a fuse and see what happens'_ so to speak. He turned his head to Ace with a look of contempt.

"Really? The brat don't look like much, ya!" He commented drily, glancing at the kid below. Well, it was true, based on his appearance! He was dressed in durable but loose clothing; combats, a jacket with the hood up and a faded leather biker jacket on top. Boring, unflattering and completely unnoticable. The new kid turned his head and glared directly at him.

 _What_ _interesting_ _eyes..._

The blue haired pirate mused internally. They were deep brown- except the right iris was ringed with gold at the pupil- _Heterochromia_ \- and they were quite... _feminine?_ He raised his eyebrows in curiosity, meeting the new kid's gaze. He couldn't discern the brat's facial features because of the shadows from the hood, but he instinctively knew that the kid was female.

He peered at the kid in contempt, almost asking her to disprove the fact. _Almost._ From what Law had just seen, it seemed that only fire fist knew something about the new girl.

 _What_ _did he_ _know?_

His internal debate was cut short when the girl rolled her eyes and looked forward. He smirked at her behaviour. _Yes. Definitely_ _a_ _woman!_

She flipped up her table and slumped on top of it; her head buried in her folded arms. He could've sworn he heard her curse quietly, as if she were trying to drown her sorrows.

Just then, Professor Mihawk silently entered the hall and stood in front of the new girl. He glanced at the huddled form briefly before flicking his stony glare to fire fist.

"Feet _off_ the desks, fire brat! I have told you this enough. Next time I catch you, there will be no legs attached to your body. Understood?" The swordmaster hissed. Ace raised his palms in defeat before gingerly removing his feet from the desk, as if the thing was a loaded explosive. Law snorted in sadistic amusement.

"And you, new brat! I don't tolerate laziness at the best of times. I don't care if you arrived in the middle of the night or just ten minutes ago! Sit up and pay attention. _You_ _**of**_ _**all**_ _people_ should know better!" The girl flinched at the grating snub.

 _Another_ _piece_ _added_ _to_ _the_ _ever_ _growing_ _puzzle, Ya?_

It was obvious that they had met before, given the tone of which Hawkeye had spoke. And it wasn't just Law that had picked up on it either. Conspiring whispers echoed throughout the gym hall. The blue haired man sighed in frustration. He seemed to be getting more questions than answers at the moment!

After a brief pause, the girl slowly raised her head and rested her chin on top of her clenched fist. She didn't sit up straight or pay attention, she instead made a snide remark directed toward fire fist... This caused Law's frustration to grow. No one who had previously encountered Hawkeye ever disrespected him- even Luffy wasn't that stupid!

The swordsman was obviously angered by the disrespectful remark, but he made no move to act upon it. It was like he'd been expecting that very response...

The pair had a very brief, very quiet conversation before the Spaniard addressed the entire class, giving everyone their work criteria. He shot a piercing glare directly at Luffy; a silent warning to get on with his work. The strawhat groaned dramatically, planting his face firmly into his log book on his desk. Law smirked when the faint sound of snoring reached his ears- he was amazed at how the boy slept so suddenly.

"What the fuck was that all about?" A voice growled menacingly. The blue haired pirate craned his head round to see who the remark came from; Law grimaced when his eyes fell upon Eustass Kid, the brutal captain of the Kid pirates. The pirate sneered down at the new girl; his face twisted in confusion.

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? Perhaps not for you, ya!" Law chuckled mockingly, provoking the short tempered punk. Eustass snarled at the blue haired pirate, his aggression peaking and causing the scalpel in Law's hand to warp in on itself. The metal point twisted backwards, burying the tip deep into his palm.

"Was that supposed to hurt me, asshole?" Law commented passively as he pulled the object out of his hand. He briefly inspected the minuscule wound before licking the blood away with a flick of his tongue.

"Uggh, that's just fucking gross Trafalgar!" The red headed captain said in distaste. Law shrugged and flicked his finger, a small dome of blue light shrouding his wound. Within seconds, the cut in his palm stitched itself together with a hiss.

"Since when did a sadistic bastard like you become so squeamish, ya?" The grey eyed teen crowed; his lips pulled into a smile.

"Says a bloody homicidal doctor with a knack for body mutilation! _Tch_. Hypocritical prick!" Eustass retorted.

"Careful, Eustass. That's a mighty load of **big** **words** you've just used... Wouldn't want that lil' noggin of yours to overheat now, would we?!" Ace piped in with mock concern, a jubilant smile upon his face at contrast with his words.

The redhead captain snapped his head round with lightening speed; his eyes twitching with rage. He gripped his table with such force that the wood cracked beneath his fingertips- he went to launch at fire fist but his first mate Killer pulled him back.

"Just you wait, fire fist. I'll kick your ass to kingdom come!" Eustass snarled. Before Ace could reply, Law interjected smoothly, in an attempt to prevent a bloody brawl from kicking off. Usually he would sit back and watch with an amused smile- but he knew that if something started in this hall while Mihawk was teaching, then the swordsman would finish it. Last time that happened, all three of them ended up in the infirmary for two weeks!

"Butt the fuck out, Law! I'll- _oh look_ , the new kid's definitely got a death wish!" The mercurial pirate jerked his head in the girl's direction. Law peered down at the girl, stupefied. Surely the girl knew who was teaching them, right?

The kid had stopped writing and decided to take another nap. She obviously didn't give two hoots as to what the swordsman said to her!

"Are you trying to annoy me, new brat? Because it is starting to work..." Mihawk called out bluntly, his anger beginning to seep slowly into his words. Eustass chuckled in gleeful anticipation, knowing full well that if the kid talks back it would mean a trip to the ICU for her.

"I've finished the whole unit, Mihawk-San!" The girl groaned; struggling to keep her head upright.

 _A_ _new_ _girl_ _that_ _has_ _half_ _a_ _brain, ya~?! I_ _wonder..._

Law noted with amusement. Most of the time he didn't bother with new inmates, only if they're a nuisance or if he thinks they're a possible asset to him, but the doctor was bored. And this new girl was presenting an enticing enigma for him to crack- he loved to analyze things and pull them apart piece by piece. Nothing stoked his ego quite like it in fact!

"Huh?! That new guy is _really_ smart! And fast! Even faster than **you,** Zoro! I wonder if he's a swordsman too- you'll finally have somebody to kick your ass!" Luffy snickered childishly, now that he was awake, nudging his green haired nakama with his elbow.

"What the- Oh **please!** Just because he can _write_ about swordsmanship, doesn't mean he can actually _do_ it! Besides, all his answers could be wrong for all we know! Pfft. Go back to sleep, idiot!" Zoro snapped indignantly. The young swordsman turned his attention to the Spaniard sitting at the desk.

Mihawk had looked up from his paperwork to glare at the new girl. He raised a brow in scepticism as he beckoned her over with the tips of his fingers.

She sighed angrily; a stream of low oaths pouring from her mouth as she hauled herself from her seat. Law could've sworn he saw the faintest trace of a smirk pull at Mihawk's lips as he watched the girl trudge towards him. She handed the log book to him without a word and he quickly scanned the pages- double ticking her answers in red pen as he went.

The honey eyed man slammed the book shut before ordering her to practice the techniques upon a training dummy.

"Ah, what a _shame,_ shitty marimo! It seems like you've been pipped at the post!" Sanji- the blonde cook- mocked from behind as he lit a cigarette.

"Shut up, ero cook! Besides, it all depends on whether he can actually use the blade- anyone can memorize words from a book if they read it enough! Except Luffy..." Zoro retorted, a faint blush dusted across his cheeks. The teen grumbled to himself as he scribbled in his logbook furiously; struggling to finish his work.

Law tittered quietly to himself, unimpressed with his peers' lack of vision. How could they not see that the new kid is a _**girl?!**_

Then again, it did take him a moment to figure it out himself- not to mention that she was quite apt at hiding her gender. Law tapped his lip in contemplation as he recalled her voice. He realised that you couldn't tell _what_ gender she was by her speech alone- she had obviously practised moderating her voice...

The pirate's stormy eyes drunk in every detail about her- the way she walked over to the weapons cupboard, the way she handled the foil in her hands... The way her clothes hid her curves.

 _Hmm... She's_ _rather_ _good. But_ _not_ _perfect..._

"Law... You do realise that you're looking at him like you're gonna cut him open at any second!" Eustass deadpanned, snapping the pirate out of his analytical trance.

"I'm thoroughly debating the idea, believe me, ya!" Law murmured softly as he stared down at the girl's form. She was practising the fencing drills upon the mannequin in a methodical fashion- her techniques was flawless but her heart wasn't in it. In fact, she seemed tense, almost angry as she moved.

 _How_ _odd!_

"Not if I fuck around with him first!" Eustass grinned and flicked his hand.

"What the- _shit!"_ The new girl hissed in shock as the sword came alive; flying out of her hand and hovering in the air a few meters away. The bulbous metal cap popped loose, revealing a deadly sharp point that glinted ominously in the faint light.

"Don't be stupid, Eustass. Mihawk-San will kick your ass for fucking about!" Ace warned, his eyes flicking from the punk, to Mihawk and then to the new girl. Law could see that fire fist was concerned, possibly worried for her safety... _Strange..._

"Pfft. **Please**. Hawkeye is too busy marking papers! Besides, I wanna see what the newbie is made of! And Roronoa is _dying_ to find out if the kid's a swordsman... I'm simply answering the guy's question, yeah?" The fiery haired pirate scoffed as he spun his hand in a circle.

The sword spun slowly, the tip now pointing at the new girl. Her stance had slipped into the defensive; her arm snaking under her jacket. In a moment, a blinding flash arced towards her head. Ace swore in shock, his hand flaring alight, tendrils of flame dancing along his fingers.

 _ **CLANG!**_

The sound of metal hitting metal reverberated throughout the gym.

"Well, the new kid can handle himself, ya!" Law chuckled at Eustass' shocked expression. He too, was surprised at the outcome. He also decided to keep his findings to himself for the time being. The surgeon had the instinctive feeling that something large was at play about this girl; it was in his best interests if he knew more before interrogating fire-fist about it...

There, in the middle of the hall, she stood. The foil was halted mid-strike by another blade- a stiletto bladed dagger wielded with the girl's left hand. The new girl was completely focused on her surroundings, her eyes flicking through the many faces in the crowd.

"If ya wanna fight me **punk,** then have the balls to face me yourself... _**Prick!**_ " She seethed venomously, her eyes locked onto the metal wielding pirate. Gasps surged through the gym like ripples in a pond- all except Luffy and Ace, who had found the situation highly entertaining and had fallen into a round of hysterical laughter. The surgeon's eyes widened a little at her bold declaration. Was she aware about whom sh'ed just challenged?

"Why you _little-"_ Kid snarled, bolting upright and snapping his table clean off its hinges, the lump of wood sailing over several shocked faces. He lifted his hand in the girl's direction with a malicious sheen in his eyes. Law smirked. This was proving to be quite entertaining!

" ** **Sit****. Down... _ ** **Now****_!"

The fiery tempered teen halted his attack, his eyes flicking over to the former shuchibukai that was currently seething at him. Ace sniggered behind his hand, knowing that if Mihawk caught him then he would also be punished. Kid slowly sat back down, his defiant glare never leaving the swordsman's. Law watched the action with little interest; he was more entertained by the new girl's erratic behaviour. The new girl huffed in annoyance as she snatched the foil from mid air, placing the cap back over the lethal tip. The bluenette smirked at her _roll-with-the-punches_ attitude. It seemed to him that she wasn't intimidated by strength or size; she did whatever the fuck she wanted. She reminded him very much of a certain idiotic strawhat in that sense...

"Metal brat, the cost of that desk is being deducted from your allowance... _Plus_ the additional cost of a brand new set of fencing foils!" The Spaniard said with false calm as he rose from his desk, approaching them with measured steps.

"WHAT!? BUT THAT SHIT IS EXPENSIVE!" Kid yelled in outrage, his face turning red from rage.

"Quit your whining, Metal brat, deal with the consequences!... _Hijo de puta poco ridículo!_ Tch! And as for the rest of you insolent children, get out of my sight! I've had enough surprises for today!" The swordsman growled, his eyes boring into each and every student in the hall. But Law didn't care- he was amused by the new girl's reaction to what the man had said. She'd laughed, albeit into the back of her hand, when he spoke in Spanish.

The majority of the students bolted from their seats; relieved to be away from Mihawk's palpable anger. Some, such as Kid, Luffy and Ace, bellowed enthusiastically and barged their way through the terrified masses. A few, such as Zoro, grumbled and whined as they reluctantly left the hall. Law, however, took his sweet time. He always did, because it was the most harmless yet annoying thing for him to agitate the swordsman with, _without_ getting hurt. But this time, he did it so he could watch the new girl. She returned the foil to it's rightful place, grabbed her things and made a beeline for the door.

"Not **you** , new brat. You and I have matters to discuss. _Privately_..." Mihawk snatched her jacket by the collar, effectively drawing her to a stop. She pulls away sharply, without looking at him.

"No we don't. It's pretty damn obvious where you stand on this... I'm done here. _I'm_ _ **done**_!" She hisses, her voice thick with unknown emotion.

 _Hmm... Again, more questions than answers at the moment, Ya~?_

Law strolls past the new girl and the swordsmaster, right out the door. The doctor keeps walking, thinking... then he stops with a sardonic grin. Why bother digging when he can simply ask for himself? Law chuckled. At least he could get some form of answers that way!


	7. An Unfortunate (And Very Awkward) Event

_(~A/N~ And after this one I'm gonna chill for a while- gotta work for a living ya know? Anyways- Law decides to test Jayden's boundaries in the most extreme fashion. XD Enjoy! Ja Ne!)_

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

 **Dramatic emphasis**

* * *

~~~~~ _Jayden's POV_ ~~~~

" **Sit**. Down... _ **Now**_!"

 _Heh_. _Fucking_ _ **Idiot**_.

Jayden huffed to herself quietly as she focused on fixing the now very sharp foil. That crazy ass punk dude from earlier had decided to try and turn her into a fucking shish kebab! Well, at least she knew who he was and what he can do... Crazy mate. She's been condemned to live with a bunch of bat shit insane people, plus deal with the inevitable family drama/personal crisis looming over her god damn shoulders. Fuck.

The teen wedged the silver cap back over the tip. She could vaguely hear the punk get a verbal bollocking off of the Spaniard over the din of obnoxious laughter. Sheesh. And she thought Smoker's laugh was loud!

"WHAT! BUT THAT SHIT IS EXPENSIVE!" The punk yelled. What was his name again? Kid...? Wait. Kid. _Eustass Kid_. As in 'captain of the Kid pirates' **Kid**? Wasn't she supposed to be avoiding people like that and NOT confront them?

The redhead winced, the colour slipping from her cheeks. She's been here less than twenty four hours and already gained a reputation. _Fuck my life_.

"Quit your whining, Metal brat, deal with the consequences!... _Hijo de puta poco ridículo!_ Tch! And as for the rest of you insolent children, get out of my sight! I've had enough surprises for today!" Mihawk snapped, cursing in Spanish. Oh God. ' _Ludicrous little bastard'_? Ha! Hahaha! That is definitely the intimidating swordsman she met when she was younger!

A snort escaped her lips before she could compose myself. The girl quickly lifted her hand and bit at the knuckle, hoping the pain rid her of the hysteria building at the back of her throat... Nope. Nada. Pffft.

A surge of terrified faces flew past; the students fleeing like a pack of spooked hyenas. Well, the more 'sane' lot anyways. The others, a.k.a the worst generation, actually whooped with joy at the prospect of an early lunch! The strawhats lurch forwards like the loons they are; Robin flicks her eyes at her pensively and that Nami girl smirks as if she'd just confirmed a suspicion. Okay... what the fuck was that for?

Kid also barrelled past; glaring at Jade with the most scathing look ever. Christ. That was almost as terrifying as Mihawk's murder look... A shiver tingled its way down the wind user's spine. Hmm. She seems to have a real bloody problem keeping a low profile... especially from insanely _(pun definitely intended)_ attractive guys... God damn it. She more like her mother than she thought!

She gathered her wits and slid through the masses, quickly returning the now not-so-pointy sword to its rightful place. Jade snatched her bag from the cupboard and slung it over her shoulder smoothly, careful not to dislodge her hood. Almost everyone was out of the hall now, only the odd few were dragging their heels, one of them being the silver-eyed raccoon looking dude. Actually, he was the only one. And she swore she could've felt his eyes burning a hole into the back of her head. Tch. _Weirdo_.

He stalked down the stairs oh so slowly as the young woman strode towards the door. She couldn't help but notice how graceful his movements were; each step was fluid, precise, silent. It was beautiful to watch, yet utterly fucking terrifying at the same time, like watching a snow leopard slink up to you then rip your damn throat out. Huh... funny, his hat kinda looks like a snow leopard... She grinned internally.

 _Snow leopard-San... hehe!_

Jade mentally bitch slapped herself.

 _No Jayden. No giving potential psychopaths soft and fluffy nicknames. Or nicknames of any kind. It'll get you killed!_

She instinctively moved quicker, her feet moving as fast as possible without actually running. Mihawk always got super pissed if she ran at the end of her lessons. It was almost as if the teen were insulting his honour or something... Jeez. Jade could see the Spaniard in her peripheral vision, not quite blocking the redhead's escape route, but enough to question whether she was gonna make it without incident... By the looks of it, she'd have to pass right within arm's reach.

Just when she thought she was in the clear, the swordsman's hand shot out and grasped her jacket collar in an iron grip. Shit. Sneaky bastard!

"Not **you** , new brat. You and I have matters to discuss. _Privately_..." Mihawk murmured, his voice thick with implantations. Oh. Hell. No! She managed to pry herself free with a huff, refusing to look that asshole in the eye. Nope not happening... the girl watched Snow Leopard-San casually taking his leave, taking all the fucking time in the god-damn **world** , she felt a wave of jealously consume her. _Lucky Leopard_!

"No we don't. It's pretty damn obvious where you stand on this... I'm done here. _I'm_ _ **done**_!" She hissed; her throat thick with all the emotions that she was seriously trying to forget. She really couldn't deal right now...

A strangled noise left her lips as she bolted from the room like a bloody coward. _Jeez I'm pathetic_.

Jade took the long route, avoiding the metal lockers like the plague, Kid's scorn filled glare forever burned into the back of her retinas. The wind user suddenly felt very out of depth and very, very alone.

 _"Room!"_

 _What the fu-_

Out of nowhere a strange blue dome lights up the fricking hallway like the fourth of July; the girl's body starts to do some crazy shit without consent... She was floating. In mid air. _Upside_ _ **down**_. And to top it off, her wrists and ankles had somehow become conjoined twins, like they were tied together without the rope. **Fun**.

The redhead closed her eyes and counted to ten. Today was her first day, all this bullshit was happening and she was seriously ticked off. Why her?

"You seem awfully calm for someone on their first day at Hell high, New Girl Ya~!" A smooth tenor voice hummed mockingly.

 _God that was a nice voice... **what**?! Behave yourself, god-damn it!_

Mismatched eyes flipped open to meet a bright silver pair. Tch. She knew a challenge when she saw one. Jade smirked and rose an eyebrow.

"So you figured it out then, did you? Well, it's nice to know that some people here actually have an IQ over a single digit number..." The young woman said sweetly, sarcasm dripping from each word.

"Thanks for the compliment..." He drawled casually, a smirk playing on his lips. Jesus Christ, her head hurts.

"You're welcome! Do ya mind flipping me upright now? I'd hate to be sick all over those shoes of yours!"

 _ **Swish!**_

Whoa. Her vision danced for a moment, her natural sense of equilibrium taking its sweet time to correct itself... Odd eyes met Leopard's once more.

"Better, Ya?" He grinned. Jade nodded, not trusting her non-filtered mouth to speak to the blue haired pirate.

"... _Now_... I'll get right to the point, seeing as I'm not the most patient of people, ya. How the fuck do you know Dracule?" He murmured coolly, his joking sardonic manner replaced with an icy efficiency. A prickling feeling tingled at the back of her neck- this guy was scaring the shit outta her. But she weren't gonna tell him that was she?

"Same way you do, ass wipe. He's my swordsmanship teacher... Or wasn't that obvious?" she smirked. Fuck. Jade really hated her cocky streak right now. She blamed her uncle. It's all his fault...

He pins her with that look from earlier, the contemptuous one, as he steps closer. In a flash, he snaked his hand under the teen's jacket.

"WHAT THE FUCK? ASS-HOLE! BACK OFF!" She yelled at him, her faze was incredibly glad that no one saw that because... just wow. Pervert.

He withdrew the offending limb, albeit rather amused, with her dagger in his hand. He didn't back up though.

"Careful, New Girl. That crude tongue of yours will get you into a whole load of trouble, ya!" He tittered, his molten eyes glowing with an emotion she was too fucked to identify at that moment.

"Nice knife... Dracule give it to you?"

...

...

"I'll take that as a yes, Ya?" He smiled crookedly as he examined the blade. Jade noticed the word 'death' tattooed across the skin of his fingers. She gnawed her lip. She couldn't decide if tattoos were frightening or sexy... Jeez. What is wrong with her? Oh that's right. Lack of god damn sleep.

"To get such a blade... You must be quite talented... What's your name?"

"You first, pervert..." She mumbled, not meeting his eyes, her cheeks betraying her discomfort. He chuckled at her expense. Baka!

" **Ara**! Don't flatter yourself, New Girl, Ya! _Fufufu_... You're an odd one, aren't you~?"

"...Coming from someone who thinks it's acceptable to randomly truss someone up and cop a feel without making their intentions clear? Tch. _Yeah_. **Rigght**. That counts as assault, mate! Therefore, you classify as a pervert!" Jade huffed indignantly.

"I'm allowed to invade privacy on medical grounds, New Girl. I'm a qualified doctor... Well, a surgeon actually... but like they give two shits, Ya!" Leopard said with a non-committal shrug.

 _What the fuck? That guy is one of the doc's here? A surgeon?! I wouldn't trust him near me with a band-aid let alone any kind of sharp implement!_

"Oh yeah? On what ' _grounds_ ' did you find it necessary to invade my privacy then, _**Doc**_?" The wind user growled in retort. The blue haired pirate clicked his tongue and looked her up and down. Okay, maybe 'look' was too loose a term? _Scrutinised_ is definitely more accurate...

She felt her body temperature rise as his strange eyes raked over her form. A small part of her wondered if he had x-ray vision and could see her naked... she gulped nervously, looking anywhere but him. By the gods this was awkward!

She felt my jacket move- again. On reflex, she nearly head butted the guy. Seriously? Did she not just say about that shit? He simply gave that annoying-as-fuck smirk, saying he was only returning her knife. Tch. Smarmy git.

"So what's your name then, Doc?"

"Ladies first." Leopard raises an eyebrow. Two can play that game. Prick.

"Go on then!" She chirped. He laughed at that. _Laughed_. Fuck. How can she keep up with this guy?

"...Definitely a strange one. Usually I just kill insignificant little pests like yourself, but since it's your first day and all..." He mused. What?! Jesus Christ this guy is bat-shit insane.

"Trafalgar Law. And you, Ya?" He said plainly. The teen sighed in defeat. After all, being a pain in the ass only gets you so far.

"Price. Jayden Price. Happy?"

* * *

 _~~~~~~~Law POV~~~~~~~_

"Price. Jayden Price. Happy?"

The New Girl - _Jayden-_ sighed in resignation, coming to the conclusion that he wasn't going to submit to someone like herself... and why should he? From what his meagre deductions can identify, she's not someone worth his time. Her unknown connection to Professor Dracule was amusing at most, so was her unpredictably hilarious personality, but that's all it was. Amusement. A fickle emotion which merely occupies his mind when there's nothing else worth picking at. Or dissecting...

A dark grin pulls at the pirate's lips. She may not be recruit material, but she's something that he can play with until something worthwhile comes about. He certainly enjoyed the cocky banter anyways. The girl's uncouth epithet was quite refreshing!

"Very much so _Jayden..._ "

Law took another step forward, looking the girl dead in the eyes, watching how they widened with her ever growing discomfort. Ah yes, so very... _amusing. He_ took another- the girl can't even **look** at him now- Oh. _Oh!_ _What a little prude, ya!_

"I wondered why Fire-fist was so interested in you at first, ya. But you know Portgas, he goes after anything pretty with an ass. Or a pair of tits... Only a matter of time before he fucks you then throws you away like he does the rest of the whores, ya?"

" _Excuse me!?"_ The new girl- no Jayden- hissed in mortified shock. There we go!

"Again, could be something else entirely, after all I can't see anything particularly attractive about you at the moment... perhaps your face has a somewhat redeeming appeal. Ya?" The surgeon smiled at her pleasantly. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the vitriol spilling from his lips. He reached for her hood, fully intending to-

" **Don't**..."

 _Shit!_

He couldn't move any further. Law felt really fucking heavy and light headed, surrounded by a surreal crushing pressure, a cold sweat breaking out on his skin at the sheer intensity of it. _How is she fucking doing it, Ya?!_ The pirate tried to move but he couldn't! Then she smiled. Not a sweet or smug twitch of the lips. **No**. It's a full on sadistic, blood thirsty and a down-right cruel mockery of a smile chiselled onto incandescent stone. Beautiful, transcendent but cold and brutally unforgiving.

" _Fufufu_... been a while since I've had to do that..." The new girl's voice dropped an octave; morphing into something seductive and full of dark promises.

Fuck... A shiver of excitement licked up his spine. How she changed, ya! Law couldn't help himself; He dropped the dome. The smile, the erotic voice and the crippling pressure from the new girl's... _haki?_... was too distracting.

Jayden lands clumsily on her feet, staggering slightly in an attempt to remain upright, knocking back the hood of her jacket revealing a short, tousled mess of red hair. It was a very distinctive shade; the same crimson as the lifeblood that run through his veins. No wonder she kept it covered, the surgeon mused quietly, pressing his now movable hand to his mouth in contemplation.

Her head snapped up, flicking the mop of red strands out of her eyes, showing her face. Smooth skin, plump pink lips... _Hmmm_. He felt his blood heat up in carnal appreciation at the picture the girl presented. The girl met his glare with one of her own, a brow raised in non-verbal challenge. She was _still_ smiling **that** kami-damned smile, too... Fucking hell! He felt the heat rush south at that.

 _Hmmm... I was wrong about this one... She is quite the plaything, ya~?_

"... _ **What?**_ _"_ Jayden snarled coldly, drawing me out of my thoughts. He smirked. Perfect opening, ya!

"Seems like I was right about your face, new girl... Quite exotic looking, especially with your hair! You'll be quite the commodity around here... If you were to stop hiding in those horrific clothes, Jayden-Ya~!" The bluenette mock chided her with a grin. She blinked in disbelief.

"E-eh? What the actual fuck?" She spluttered weakly. He grinned wider. It's so fun riling her up and catching the girl off guard.

 _Time for the finale, ya!_

"On second thought, new girl, keep hiding. I much prefer it when others don't touch my playthings..." Law shoved the new gir- _Jayden_ against the wall with one hand and leant forward, inches from her face. She chokes from her stupor, eyes wide and cheeks ever darkening. Oh yes. Law liked putting that look on her lovely face. So amusing. He used his free hand to pull up her hood.

Law chuckled and tilted his face forward so that his lips almost touched hers; A small part of him was sorely tempted to actually have a quick taste... The new girl looked like she was trying not to hyperventilate, ya!

He pushed down the lust filled thoughts threatening to shred his control with some difficulty, especially with said interest quivering against him looking so innocent. Fuck. The pirate very much wanted to ravish her right here against the wall but he had a feeling the little demon in front of him wouldn't appreciate it. **No**. The blue haired man would have to go about this carefully- she was still a mystery to him after all.

"See you in class, _**Jayden**_. Fufufu..."

 _~~~~Jayden POV~~~~_

" _ **What?"**_ She snarled, seething.

How _**DARE**_ he? Fucking grey eyed, _motherfucking_ son of a **whore**!

A part of her was still feeling incredibly smug at the shocked look the leopard was sporting at her little party trick... HA! That'll teach the bloody raccoon...

Another part of her, however, was repeatedly cursing her lack of emotional control (A.K.A. The random surfacing of her Uncle Shank's 'guiding' influence. When in doubt, she ALWAYS blames him.) What had Smoker-san said? Keep a low profile? Pfft. Chances of that were slim, thanks to the teen's motor mouth.

The pirate smirked with a glint in his eye. Oh shit. What is he up to now?!

"Seems like I was right about your face, new girl... Quite exotic looking, especially with your hair! You'll be quite the commodity around here... If you were to stop hiding in those horrific clothes, Jayden-Ya~!" He scolded the young woman in a playful manner, pacing slightly, his lips twisting into a devilish grin.

"E-eh? What the actual fuck?" Jade murmured automatically. How else was she supposed to respond to that shit? Her mind, being fucking useless as always, had decided to shut down in denial...

Trafalgar stopped mid-step, instead turning to her with an oddly pleased look adorning his features. He takes a few graceful, leopardy half steps towards the redhead and pauses like he's been struck with an epiphany.

"On second thought, new girl, keep hiding. I much prefer it when others don't touch my playthings..."

 _ **Wha** \- SLAM!_

Jayden found herself in that tricky little gap between the rock and the hard place with no means of escape. The 'rock' being the wall and the 'hard place' being an attractively psychotic doctor pirate. Ah well. At least this one had his chest covered. Thank heaven for small mercies-

He leaned in incredibly close so that his nose brushed hers; his free hand grazed her cheek as he snatched up the teens hood... Her face was burning. Hell, hell, hell!

Leopard-San was so fucking close she could FEEL his bloody breath on her lips- SHIT. At that moment, her brain decided that her lungs didn't need any air. Cue hyperventilation and choking! **Great**. She didn't even have to look at the smarmy raccoon git to know that he's enjoying her pain. Not that she can actually _SEE_ the bastard...

The teens inner self- the one who is actually still sane and is her subconscious- facepalms at the wind user's idiocy. Jeez. _  
_

"See you in class, _ **Jayden**_. Fufufu..."

He whispered softly, her name just _**rolling**_ off his tongue smoother than silk and that laugh was just sinful! With a dark smile he skulked off; leaving just as suddenly as he appeared. Huh. Jade felt her knees hit the floor.

It seemed that her survival rate at Hell High has rapidly dropped within the first 12 hours. And her day hasn't even finished yet.

 _ **I am so fucked!**_


End file.
